After all of your hard work in preparing your home for sale, it’s time to show it off! Treat every showing like it is the next owner, because it very well could be! You want your house to be wearing its best dressed outfit to impress and outcompete other homes for sale. If you follow these steps and the preparation beforehand, you’ll sell your home quickly and for the maximum price the market will bear.
WHY FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER
Buyers will drive by your home before they come inside and after they’ve seen the interior at various times of the day to observe how it “feels”. For that reason, constant upkeep of your yard, porch and lighting is important.
PRO TIPS FOR 1ST IMPRESSIONS
- Mow your lawn. If selling in the Spring or Summer, consider hiring a grounds maintenance professional, especially if you are no longer living at the home. It is the sellers responsibility to maintain the home in the condition that the buyers saw it in when they made the offer. Continue to upkeep the yard and interior until the home has formally transferred to the new owner(s).
- Keep the porch lights on. Consider investing in smart lighting if you aren’t living at the house. From your phone you can manually turn on and off the lights. The investment is relatively in-expensive and we can then advertise the home as having built-in smart features. This will help alleviate any feeling of angst while your home isn’t being lived in.
- Highlight special features. Do you have full grown trees or a personalized garden? A large wrap around porch? Specialty siding? Features that are highly unique and recognizable need to be shown at their best. If you want to display these items at their peak perfection, contact your Realtor who can put you in touch with a specialist who can make these amenities be appreciated by the future owner.
5 MINUTES TO PREPARE FOR A SHOWING…
You just got done preparing dinner and you receive a call from your Realtor, that a buyer would like to come back and view your home for a second showing. (YES!)
- Clear and wipe down the kitchen countertops and bathroom surfaces. Buyers appreciate your thoughtful touches and are envisioning themselves living here. More empty space invites them to see your home as their own
- Eliminate strong smells and incense. Not everyone appreciates or has the same preference as you. If you were recently cooking, grinding a part of a lemon in the garbage disposal prior to the showing, this helps neutralize the seasoning you may have recently used while cooking.
Ambiance Matters When Selling Your Home
If showing during the day, open the blinds and let in natural light while having most if not all of the lights on. Don’t miss the toe-kick lighting in the bathroom (if they aren’t automatic) and kitchen under mount lighting. These upgrades we want to make apparent when buyers first view the home, rather than discovering during the home inspection. These are upgrades that buyers may be willing to pay more for! And don’t forget the temperature! Keep the house at a comfortable 68 degrees during the winter months and if you have air conditioning and are selling during the summer, be sure to have it on. It’s one thing to read that the home is “warm and cozy” or “comfortably chilled” it’s another thing for the buyer to experience this as they walk through your home.
Nighttime Showings
Buyers may intentionally come back during darker hours to see the home and gain a different perspective. If trying to capture a specific mood or ambiance, turn on lamps and all specialty lighting. Make the walking path through the home well lit, allowing buyers to focus on each space rather than search for the light switches. If you have surround sound, play soft background music. Better the music be quiet than loud; you don’t want the buyer to feel like you are covering up road noise or feel distracted or anxious because of the music.
When preparing to show your home, remember details matter. Buyers will take note of consistent lighting, comfortable temperature and overall feel. Eliciting emotions of comfort and satisfaction will help motivate them to write an offer, and a good one at that!
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