Showing Your Home: 4 Tips to Make the Best 1st Impression

In today’s buyer’s real estate market, every detail counts when you want to sell your home. Here are four tips to make the best impression on home buyers who come to view your property.

• Lighting – Turn on All the lights! When preparing for a home showing, turn on all the indoor and outdoor lights – even during the day. At night, a lit house gives a “homey” impression when viewed from the street. During the daytime, turning on the lights prevents harsh shadows from sunlight and it brightens up any dim areas. Your house looks more cheerful with the lights on. A light, bright home will sell over a dark one any day.

• Fragrances – Do not use scented sprays or plug-in air fresheners. Many people find the smells of those sprays offensive, not to mention that some may be allergic. If you want to have a pleasant aroma in your house, have a potpourri pot simmering or light a vanilla scented candle. A quick fix to stale air is to turn on a stove burner for a moment and put a drop of vanilla extract on it. It will smell like you have been baking something delicious.

• Pet Control – If possible, all pets should be removed from a home when showing. Even dog bowls should be put away out of sight. If you have pets, make sure your Realtor puts a notice in the MLS. The last thing you want is to have your pet running out the front door and getting lost. Putting pets in crates often created barking and noise that distracts buyers and makes them want to rush through your home. You want people to stay as long as possible so that they develop a good feel for your home. If you can’t remove pets, you are better off putting pets in the backyard if possible. Of course, the best choice is to take them with you or have a friend keep them until the showing is over.

• The Kitchen Trash – Like you mom always told you, “take out the trash!” Make sure you empty the garbage every time someone comes to look at your home – even if your trash can is kept under the kitchen sink. You want to send a positive, clean image about every aspect of your home. The odor (eve if it is slight and unnoticeable to you) of kitchen trash does not send a positive message. You may go through more garbage bags than usual, but when the sale goes through it will all be worth it.