Showing a home does not have to be an overwhelming, costly process. Regardless of your home's size, age, style, and location, there are ways to spruce it up and effectively showcase its assets. Here are a few hints that will help you know what to expect when a prospective buyer comes to see your home:
Have Your Home Ready…
It’s a good idea to maintain your home in a constant state of readiness when it is on the market for sale. Try to keep things as clean and uncluttered as possible, so buyers may come to inspect your home at any time – even when you’re not at home. Keep beds made and countertops empty. Readiness includes the exterior: Keep the yard well tended and make sure that access to the house is unfettered by nature, as in snow; or people, as in toys.
Appointments…
Agents will schedule an appointment before showing your home to their prospective buyers. Most agents plan their itinerary for showing property several hours, or even days, in advance. Consider yourself warned, however, that there might not be much notice between the time of the call and the knock on your door. It’s not unusual for an agent to call for the appointment upon driving by your home with clients in the car – possibly en route from one house to another on their itinerary. When the client asks “What about that one?” the agent normally attempts to contact the homeowner, even though it means short notice. These situations sometimes turn into sales, so it’s a good idea for you to be accommodating, if possible.
The Lockbox…
You have a life, and you can’t be tied to your home from the moment you put it on the market until it’s sold and settled. Your life-saver is a lockbox; a small device in which a key to the house is stored, often on or near the front door. Licensed and bonded agents affiliated the local Association of Realtors will have a key to access the lockbox so they can obtain a key to the property and gain entry. Most lockboxes are electronic and, therefore, provide an extra level of security by recording the identity of the person who accesses the lockbox, and the day and time of entry. You want to make your home as easy as possible to show for agents. Meaning, you should use a lockbox and your instructions should be "show anytime." If you would prefer a call first then your instructions should be "courtesy call, leave message and go." The easier it is for the buyers to see your house, the easier it will sell.
Staging…
Many sales are made or lost by “staging” the property for sale, or failing to do so. It’s very uninviting and unwelcoming to arrive for a scheduled appointment to a dark house. A negative impression is further entrenched by open food containers on the kitchen counter-top and dirty dishes in the sink, a vacuum cleaner in the middle of the living room and dirty laundry on the bathroom floor.
Some homes are very beautiful, but from a staging perspective, over decorated. For instance, some have many beautiful artifacts and décor around their fireplace and potential buyers get so caught up in the décor, they almost forget there even is a fireplace. A correctly staged home would have limited accessories - just enough to show off that fireplace. Try to remove excess furniture to show off all that floor space! You may love that red wall - it's you! But some buyers may look at it, realizing that one, it doesn't match their furniture and two, it will take several coats of paint to cover. It is also important to remember that it is important to have these things done before your house is listed. Studies show the highest showing traffic occurs within the first 30 days of your listing. Don't wait for feedback from your agent to make the necessary changes that will help sell your home.
If you know a prospective buyer is coming for an appointment, start by opening the window coverings and turning on lamps in every room. Make a quick sweep of the house to remove clutter. Have potpourri or scented candles on hand to keep the house smelling fresh or, better yet, put some brownies or cookies in the oven. If you have a fireplace, consider burning a fire during viewings (season and time permitting). Turn on soft upbeat music. It is a good idea to try and be out of the house when the buyers arrive. They want to envision the house as if it were theirs and if you are their with them it may make them feel uncomfortable. If you happen to be their when they arrive, make them feel welcome and then leave as promptly as possible. Whenever possible, arrange for children and pets to stay with a friend or neighbor during showings. If that is not possible, please confine your pets and instruct children to play quietly or read while prospective buyers are in the house. Even though you may have the nicest animal, the buyers may be afraid of them. People may also be sensitive to the odors or pet dander, so make sure you clean your house thoroughly. Don't let potential buyers walk away without fully seeing the very best your home has to offer.
Follow-up…
Sometimes a buyer looking at a home can provide information on an item that may not have been addressed with the seller. Some items can be changed, such as too much clutter, or an offensive paint color. Other items can't, such as the location of the home or the layout of a floorplan. If the buyer is interested in buying your home, most likely the agent will get in touch with us quickly – in other words, no news is probably not good news. Feedback can be very valuable, when we are fortunate enough to receive it. If 3 out of 4 visitors mention that the house is dark, however, we know to add another lamp; if several people notice a cat odor, we know to deodorize it; if you repeatedly hear that the house needs too much work, we know that some work needs to be done by you to increase the salability of the house. Showing your home can be nerve-wracking. A quickly sold home means happy home sellers who have experienced minimum hassle and inconvenience.
Thinking of Selling your home? Call JoAnn Young 321-243-4917Showing Your Home or email JoAnn@myFLdreamhome.com
