Ready, Set, Show! Four Tips To Prepare Your Sellers For Home Showings

It’s a hot market for real estate buyers and that means you need to do everything you can to help your sellers prepare their home for a showing. If you want a successful showing, do not ignore the following tips.

Clutter Must Go

It does not matter how big or small a house is: clutter is a distraction that will negatively affect potential buyers. You must encourage your sellers to get rid of their clutter. Remind them that the less clutter they have the less they will have to pay a moving company. You can also create a checklist or a how-to hand-out to help your sellers get rid of junk. If they are having problems getting rid of items, suggest they rent a storage pod or off-site facility to store their belongings while their house is on the market.

Time To Depersonalize

Most homes have their fair share of family portraits and heirlooms. Remind your sellers that most people are trying to envision how their lives are going to unfold if they purchase the property they are being shown. Having family memorabilia in every room is not going to help, so make sure most of it is removed and put into storage.

Cleanliness Is King

Nothing will turn off potential buyers quicker than a dirty home. A home should be thoroughly cleaned before it is shown. And, it must be kept clean for the entire time it is on the market. Even a fixer-upper will benefit from being clean. Windows need to be washed, rugs vacuumed, cobwebs removed and there should be no pet or musty odors.

Remember Curb Appeal

A home has to be inviting as soon as potential buyers pull up in-front of it. That means the lawn should be cut and there can’t be any chipped paint on fences or shingles. An inexpensive flat of marigolds or petunias will go a long way toward making a buyer smile.

The above tips will go a long way toward helping you and your sellers show their home in the best possible light.