Excerpts From: - Don't let showings on short notice get in the way of a sale
If there is an unwritten rule governing the process of selling a home, it may be that real estate agents are most likely to ask to show your house at the most inopportune time possible.
These calls seem to come just after you have burned the morning toast or stepped soaking wet from the shower.
The wording of these phone calls may vary, but they usually include your agent saying: "How about if we swing by in a half- hour?"
As challenging a task as it may seem, Realtors and other industry experts agree that homeowners have the best opportunity to sell their place if they are always ready to show their homes to potential buyers.
And that means showing their homes--not necessarily as they look in average daily life nor in a highly staged, formal way--but in a well-maintained, clean, comfortable condition that welcomes buyers and makes them feel as if this could be their house.
Having to show a home on short notice is one of the few things a seller can count on during a sometimes unpredictable process...
...When given just a half-hour to get ready, sellers should consider these tips:
- First impressions. Check your home's curb appeal.
"Sweep the stoop if needed and make sure the lawn is free of toys," said Julea Joseph, owner of thehousestager.com. (now julea.com)
- Remove clutter inside, too. "Straighten up. Don't worry about dusting and vacuuming. Now is the time to pick up and put away," ...
Of course, the easiest place to conceal clutter is in a closet.... ...Stowing clutter under the bed is better than stuffing it in a closet. Buyers are more likely to open your closet doors than they are to peer beneath your bed.
- Open the blinds and turn all the lights, including those in your closet... ... if a Realtor is scurrying ahead of buyers, trying to open blinds and flick on light switches, it may not make for a relaxing tour.
- Clean bathrooms... have a bathroom deodorizer."But not one with an overpowering smell. People will think you're trying to hide something"...
- Clean the kitchen. It might seem a quick fix to throw the dirty dishes and pans in the dishwasher, but buyers may peek inside this appliance and, if the dishes have not been washed, they may still smell last night's lasagna.
Joseph recommends buying several plastic bins or tubs for quickly sorting clutter of all kinds, even piling dirty dishes in them, and putting them in the garage. Of course, each sort of clutter, dishes or dirty laundry, would get its own bin.
- Consider smell and sound. To make a home smell cozy,...
...Joseph recommended having frozen cookie dough in the freezer to pop in the oven...
..."The cookies mask other smells," said Joseph. "And I don't know who doesn't like chocolate-chip cookies."
She also advised pre-setting your stereo system to a light music station, classical or jazz, for instance, that would create a pleasant background noise.
- Remove pets. Putting a dog in a garage may be disconcerting to buyers who may hear it bark or whine as they approach the front door or tour the house.
People who don't like dogs, and even those who do, may hear the dog and "make a mental note that `this house is going to have a dog smell, or its going to be hairy or scratched,'" said Joseph.
Joseph recommended taking your dog for a walk if possible. Cats seem to be less of a nuisance, but other pets, such as hamsters or guinea pigs, might have to be encouraged to take a short vacation-- even if it is to the garage.
- Make yourself scarce. Although you may feel like welcoming visitors to your home, it is not necessary and it may even impede the Realtor's ability to sell your home. She recommended sellers go for a walk around the neighborhood or retreat to the patio...
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