When your house is on the market, you’ve got to be ready for showings at the drop of a hat. Flexibility is key because showtime is all the time.
Since most people work 9 to 5, many showings will occur during evenings and weekends. Yes, this will likely damper your life, but remember, it’s only temporary. Putting time limitations on when people can come to your home, such as only between 2 and 4 pm and never on weekends, means limiting the potential pool of buyers.
Real Life Real Estate Example
Adrian had clients who insisted on not having showings after 8:00 PM. After further discussion they agreed to accommodate appointments at all hours, and they ended up selling in multiple offers, with the top offer being $20,000 above the next closest, and they visited at 8:30 PM on a Friday –who knows if they ever would have had the opportunity to visit if that request was declined.
But being flexible with your schedule is only part of it. Your house needs to be looking shipshape all the time. If your realtor calls to say they’re bringing buyers over in an hour, your house needs to be ready –don’t worry; most showings provide much more notice.
Hopefully, before you listed your home, you gave it a deep clean or your real estate agent had a professional cleaning company tackle the task for you. You must keep your home clean and decluttered throughout the selling process. Most people would be surprised to hear stories about how the strangest things, including dirty houses easily turn buyers off.
Here’s a checklist of things to do before a showing:
- Make the beds
- Put the dishes away
- Sweep and mop the floors
- Vacuum the carpets
- Put laundry away
- Put away toys, including pet toys and food bowls
- Take out the trash and recycling
- Wipe surfaces
- Keep the toilet lid down
- Turn on the lights (all of the lights!)
- Play soft music
Most buyers will drive by your home before they schedule a showing. If your yard is poorly maintained or there’s lots of junk on the front porch, they may cross your house off their list before visiting.
To make sure the outside of your home is enticing, not deterring potential buyers, stay on top of these seasonal tasks:
- Keep the lawn mowed
- Weed flowerbeds and landscaped areas
- Trim hedges and bushes
- Rake up leaves
- Keep driveways and walkways shovelled
Get out of the house
Finally, when it’s time for a showing, it’s time to make yourself scarce. That means planning to get yourself and your family out of the house. Homeowners make buyers uncomfortable. They tend to rush through the house and then forget about it. You want people to have as positive an experience as possible. That means giving them space and time to see the house.
Having prospective buyers tour your home is critical to the selling process. Always be prepared for that next showing. It only takes one person, and you never know who that will be. Ensure you and your house are ready at a moment’s notice.
For more information about selling your home, call KT Realty at 1 (800) 617-0090.
