Put Your Home’s Best Foot Forward. Every. Showing.
- Turn on every lamp in the entire house for an inviting and easy to process experience. This also eliminates awkward fumbling for switches.
- Put out cookies, candy, lemonade, bottled water, etc. to create a welcoming indoor or outdoor space. Side story: A Connecticut agent had my kids all sitting at the island with milk and cookies while my husband and I toured the home. It was genius. I stole the idea for my showings.
- Make beds – watch the video on how to make them perfectly.
- Open curtains and blinds to let in natural light
- Give the home a quick vacuum (wood floors and stairs too).
- Hang towels in bathrooms – a good place for a pop of color.
- Toilet seats down, toiletries and prescriptions stashed – no one wants to see personal effects.
- Rid sink of dirty dishes.
- Put away financial or high-value items (money, checkbooks, passports, etc.).
- Contain/remove pets for showings. For showings you can ask a buyer if they are OK if a friendly dog stays, especially on short notice. A barking or jumping dog, however, is never welcoming.
- Clean up dog waste in the yard (ick!) and empty litter boxes inside.
- Open windows and doors to let in fresh air.
- Turn TVs off and music on (not too loudly) fitting of the home’s character.
- Eliminate odors by preventing them – refrain from smoking inside, using the fireplace, or cooking spicy foods that linger.
- Fresh flowers brighten up a home (remove when expired).
- Set thermostat to a comfortable temperature. If it’s cold, turn on the gas fireplace.
- Keep winter walkways and steps cleared and free from snow and ice.
- Open hot tubs and pools as early in the spring as possible. Some houses are meant to be sold during a particular season so stretch the calendar to highlight your amenities.
Share my Home on Zillow
