12 Step Guide to Getting Your Home SOLD!
Hello, Savvy Home Sellers!
Welcome back to my 12 Step Guide to Getting Your Home SOLD! Last time, in Step 4, we discussed understanding today's home buyer. You learned why it is important to understand home buyers, how home buyers look for homes, and how to make your home attractive to buyers. Today, in Step 5, we will talk about preparing your home for showings.
Step 5: Preparing to Show Your Home for Sale
Showing your home to buyers is one of the most important steps of the home selling process; if buyers are not able to view your home, they will not buy it! Here are some steps you can take to prepare yourself and your home for showings.
Preparing Yourself for Showings of Your Home
As the home seller, you want your home to sell so that you can move on and live the life you are comfortable with. Before you make your home available for showings, prepare yourself mentally for this process. You are likely attached to your home and have many fond memories there; however, it is time to detach yourself from your home to make the entire home selling process easier. Now that you're ready for your home to be shown to potential buyers, you must be flexible. Often, you won't have the luxury of a 24-hour notice before your home is shown. You should be ready for your home to be shown at any time. If you are inflexible about showing your home, agents may deem your home "hard to show." This could mean fewer showings, and in turn, fewer potential buyers for your home. Also, keep in mind that it typically isn't a good idea for you, the home seller, or your listing agent to be present during showings. If you are home when the buyers is viewing the home, they will likely not feel comfortable and will rush the show. If your agent is present, the buyers' agent will likely not feel comfortable to show the home the way he or she typically does. Overall, it is a good idea to leave the home vacant for showings.
Preparing Your Home to be Available for Showings
Before your home is ready to be shown, there are several things you should do. First, remove all clutter and personal items. You want buyers to be able to see your home, not your stuff. Also, you want buyers to be able to picture themselves living in your home, and that is much easier if your personal items are removed. Next, take the time to deep clean. Now is the time to steam-clean the carpets, scrub tile grout, and power-wash decks. Before your home is ready to show, you should make necessary repairs that will make your home more appealing; tighten leaky faucets, replace missing bathroom tile floor, and so on. Lastly, before your home is ready to be available for showings, keep it well-maintained. You never know when you will have a showing, so keep dishes washed, grass trimmed, counters clean, and floors swept.
Preparing Your Home to be Shown
When a buyer's agent wants to show your home, sometimes you will have a day's notice, and sometimes you will have an hour's notice. Keeping your home well-maintainted, as mentioned before, will leave only a few things to do to get your home ready to be shown. Make your home as inviting as possible to buyers. Open drapes to show natural light, and turn on each light in the home. Neutralize any scents in the home. Don't overpower your home with perfumes, but do consider lighting a lightly-scented candle. Make the temperature of your home comfortable so that buyers will want to stay longer. Also, be sure that pets, pet accessories, and pet odors are not present in the home. Take your pet to a neighbor's home or a pet boarder, and remove pet beds and litter boxes to avoid negative smells or potential buyer allergies.
Showing your home to homebuyers is one of the most important steps in the home selling process. Understanding how to successfully prepare yourself and your home is also very important. Your listing agent will be able to help you understand your home's specific needs for preperation.
Next time, in Step 6 of my 12 Step Guide to Getting Your Home SOLD, we will discuss possible fees and payments that you may encounter during the home selling process. You'll want to stick around!
Until Next Time,
Ana Spradling, Your Realtor with Real Results
With me as your listing agent, I understand what it takes to get your home SOLD! I will guide you through the steps of preparing your home for sale, showings, and staging. I also provide professional staging services to my clients for free. Ask me for my Getting Your Home Ready for Showing Tips. To learn more about my services to home sellers, contact me at (913) 954-7123 or at ASpradling@ReeceAndNichols.com
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