12 Things to Do When Your House Is Being Shown
We love checklists ~ right? Fellow ActiveRain blogger Kathy Streib composed the following list for sellers when their house is being shown. There isn't one item on the list that I would change. I think she pretty much covered everything! So, if your Brandon, Madison, or Flowood home is on the market, feel free to use this checklist as a guide of what to do when your house is being shown.
If I can assist in any way, let me know.~Pat
A Checklist You Can Use...
You’ve just spent weeks preparing your house for sale. Now all you have to do is wait for it to be shown, and you’ll be on your way to your new home! Right?
Well...almost.
Don’t drop the ball now after all of the work you’ve done.
Selling your home while you’re living in it can be done but it takes some organization on your part to ensure that you do live through it!
Here is a Checklist you can use when your house is being shown.
1.Remove your dirty dishes!
If your dishwasher is full, then put that cereal bowl in your refrigerator! No one wants to see your dirty dishes when they’re trying to imagine their family there.
2.Light up your house
Go through every room and turn on EVERY light! Don’t stop there...make sure your drapes and shades are open.
Don’t even think of what it’s costing me in electric bills! Think of what it could cost you in a lost sale because no one can see the rooms!
3.Grab a laundry basket and pick up the strays!
Grab newspapers, shoes, pet toys, other toys, mail, and anything else hanging out and out of place!
And, don’t forget your laundry room. Buyers don’t need to be treated to the sight of your clean or dirty laundry.
4.Empty waste baskets and remove kitchen trash!
Just like your dirty dishes, no one really wants to see your trash. And, removing the kitchen trash can also help to keep any of the scents of last night’s dinner from distracting your buyers.
5.Run your kitchen disposal!
Throw some ice cubes and baking soda and vinegar down too!
6.Make EVERY bed!
This shouldn’t have to be on the list but you’d be surprised!
Don’t spoil the viewing experience of your buyers with bedrooms with beds that are unmade and clothes and shoes on the floor.
7.Think SPA for your bathrooms.
Give the countertops a quick wipedown.
Put the commode seats DOWN.
Hang up the towels!
Put all personal items under the counter or in the drawers….medicine, toothbrushes, cosmetics...everything!
8.No candles or simmering cinnamon sticks!
First of all, you would never leave a burning candle or something cooking on the stove when you leave your house! Think safety!!!
Second, buyers are on to you! They will wonder what you’re trying to cover up!
9.Lock up, remove personal computers and papers.
This is 2016 sellers, so think identity theft. No...all buyers aren’t walking into your house to steal your items but you need to be careful.
Lots of information can be gleaned from bills and other papers you have on your desk.
10.Same goes for your prescription medication and jewelry.
Why tempt fate.
11.Bye-bye Lucky!
If you have pets, make sure that their bowls and toys are removed. If you have a large crate for them that usually sits in the kitchen or family room, move it to the garage.
Oh yes….and bye-bye means exactly that!
Take them for a walk or ride but do not leave them. Buyers may be allergic, and if you think about it, your dogs may be nervous with strangers in their home!
12. It Would Be So Nice If You Weren’t Here
(or Bye-Bye to YOU)
Charles Grodin wrote an excellent book: “It Would Be So Nice If You Weren't Here”
And, that’s the way it should be when your house is being shown.
Yes, you feel you know your home better than anyone and yet...you need to leave!
You need to let your buyers experience the possibilities of their new home, not yours!
Selling your house is a lot easier when you have a checklist of what to do when it is being shown!
Room Service! Home Staging
Palm Beach County Home Stager
561-914-6224 Kathy@MrsHomeStaging.com
www.MrsHomeStaging.com
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