10 Things to NOT Leave Out When Your House is on the Market.

When people are looking for a new home, they want to find the perfect house. They want everything inside it to be immaculate.  They want to have that feeling like when they got their first car or started a new relationship. Excitement, butterflies, visions of the future! Unfortunately, there are things that, when left out in view in a house, can diminish that excitement and have people making up excuses like they’re trying to leave in the middle of a bad date. To help avoid this scenario, we’ve put together a list of 10 things you should not leave out when your house is on the market. 

1. Poo-pourri – Although we agree that it can be a very useful product, you are going to make the people touring your home think of pooh. This also pertains to cans of air freshener and the like. You don’t have to get rid of them, just put them inside the cabinet.
2. A mess – While we think this one is obvious, we felt like we couldn’t leave it out. It is so important. We know it can be very difficult to keep the house clean at all times, especially if you have children. However, you want to make sure that anyone touring your home can picture themselves in it. They want to see as little of your personal items as possible, no dirty clothes, no make-up or hair spray on the counters, no bottle of lotion, no unmade beds and as little clutter as possible. If it helps, keep a storage tub in each room and throw all of your mess into it before you leave the house each day. That way, there will only be a tub in the room vs. stuff all over the room.
3. Christmas Decorations… in the summer (or anytime besides Christmas) –Yes, we’ve seen it. Lake homes going on the market in June with Christmas trees up. Just don’t do it.
4. Old, outdated curtains – This especially pertains to homes that are vacant. If you’re taking everything with you, remove the old draperies as well. The home will show much better with extra light and appear more clean and spacious.
5. Personal Items – We mean things like bills, credit card statements, anything with information on it that you don’t want other people to find. Keep it out of site.
6. Prescription Drugs – While we all hope that the people going in our homes are honest, decent people, there’s no reason to take risks. Keep all prescription drugs in a safe place where no one will be able to easily take them.
7. Your dog – If you can, keep your dog out of the house if you know the property is being shown. Take it for a walk. If this isn’t possible, putting them in a kennel, in an area of the back yard, or in the garage may be options to consider. Although your dog may be your best friend, sadly, not everyone feels the same way.
8. Smells – While that tuna melt may have tasted delicious for lunch, your potential buyers may not enjoy the smell later that afternoon. Try to let some fresh air in the house (if weather permits), deodorize by using a scent that most people will like (a light scented Febreeze may to the trick). Lighting a candle can also help. In the kitchen, you could light one that’s seasonally appropriate. For example, pumpkin spice in the fall, cranberry around the holidays or apple pie anytime. Be aware that  you may have gone “nose-blind” to some of the smells, so be extra careful to make sure everything is fresh.
9. The lights – Don’t leave them out, turn them on. If you know you have a showing, make sure all the blinds are open and the lights are on. Dimly let rooms can seem dingy and not as clean.
10. The heat or the AC – This happens a lot in vacant houses or lake homes that aren’t occupied year round. People turn the AC or heat to the maximum or minimum they think they can, or even off if it’s the AC. There is nothing worse than touring a home in the middle of the summer with no AC. If you want someone to spend more than a few minutes in your home, make sure the temperature is comfortable.

We know you want your house to sell fast and for the best price. Following these tips can help it do just that.