Tip for Tuesday – Preparing for Showing

Selling a home isn’t something that most of us do a lot. There are many things that go into it. Because of this, we don’t always know what we need to do or not do during the sales process. Today, we’re taking a look at what you need to do in order to make sure your home is ready to show.

1. Make sure your home is clean and clutter free – Your home should look like a model home. Make sure it’s clean and remove all clutter. If you don’t need it, get rid of it or store it. This is difficult when you’re living in the house, but it will make a world of difference. A lot of people can’t look past what is in the home to see the actual house. You may even have to pack up some things and put them in storage or stack them neatly in storage bins in the garage. Make sure your house is clean. Look past the obvious and at everything from cobwebs in corners to finger prints or scuff marks on doors. Remove seasonal décor when appropriate. (We have seen Christmas decorations in the middle of the summer before.) Try and look at your home with fresh eyes.
2. Make sure your house is available to show at short notice – Try to keep it clean each day, make beds, put things away before you leave the house. This will take time each morning, so you may need to get up 15 minutes early to make sure everything is in order.
3. Remove fixtures you want to keep – If you have fixtures in the home that you plan on keeping (for example, a chandelier), make sure that you remove these before you show the home. This could save you from tough conversations down the road. (If it is a chandelier, put a builder’s chandelier or something like that up in place of the one that you are keeping.)
4. Put away valuables, important documents and prescription drugs – Even though your home will likely be shown by a Realtor, it’s good to be on the safe side. Do not leave any valuables lying around, make sure any documents with important personal or financial information are put away and that all prescription drugs are out of site.
5. Keep your doors locked – Your home will likely have a lockbox for agents, and you should get notice before it’s shown. However, to be on the safe side, always lock your doors if you’re in the home so that no one can inadvertently enter your home at an inopportune time.

We hope you find these tips helpful. They may seem easy and a bit obvious, but as we all know, life happens. When it does, it’s good to have a list to make sure you’ve got everything checked off and you can get moving!