Tag Archives: Real Estate

So you are putting your home up for sale. There is so much to go over. But for this post we will concentrate specifically on the basics of showing your home. Having shown hundreds of homes in the Temecula Valley to potential buyers…we have great insight on what the majority of Buyers want in a showing. This doesn’t have anything to do with price, location, number of rooms, etc. If we are coming to show your home with a buyer, your home has already made the cut in the specifics. This is just to get the most out of your showing.

1. Neat and Clean Unfortunately there is no substitute for this. De-cluttering ahead of time will help this immensely since you don’t always get a lot of notice and you don’t want to turn anyone away that is going to be accompanied by a Realtor®. If you want to get an idea of what neat and clean means-visit your closest new home models. I know it seems ridiculous to think that anyone could expect you to keep your home this way but they do. Everyone in the family has to help. The better you are at this…the quicker the sale…and the less amount of time you have to do it!
2. Lots of Light  The best case scenario is that the home is staged for the showing. Every light on, blinds open, interior doors open, soft music playing. But if it is not possible for the home to be staged for every showing than the absolute bare minimum is that all of the window blinds/drapes are left open. Doors throughout the home must be left open to let the natural light travel into the hallways and dark spaces created by closed doors. You might consider putting a timer on hallway lamps for the darker hours when showings might occur. If you know the night before that someone is coming while you will need to be away you can leave the lights on and ask the agent to turn them off when they are done.
   
3. Scents that Make Sense Bad odors are hard to overcome. Buyers will hurry through the home and will be distracted trying to figure out what they are smelling. It quickly becomes the focus which sounds silly but true nonetheless. The best thing to do is to air out your home daily if possible. Especially if you cook a lot , have pets or children in diapers. Smoking should be reserved for the backyard only, not in the garage or near any doorways. People who do not smoke can smell it from a mile away. Fresh air is the best remedy. A quick note on candles or plug ins- Be careful not to overdo it. A food scent is good but plain vanilla is best. Research has shown that vanilla is the scent most widely accepted as pleasing to the senses. It is also a natural odor neutralizer. Many people are sensitive to florals and are easily irritated by them. Picture your potential buyer sneezing all over your house! 
   
4. Inappropriate Photos, Posters, Etc. Take them down, put them away, pack them early. If you have lived in the Temecula Valley for any length of time it should be obvious that the average household has 2.5 children. Children that will be with their parents when they are looking at your home. Your son’s poster of two barely dressed girls making out is not appropriate. The child that may be moving into your son’s room is an 8 year old boy (true story). Newsflash… nude art, wives lingerie glamour photos, breastfeeding photos, maternity photos that are revealing or suggestive make most buyers extremely uncomfortable. Regardless of how silly you might think that is, uncomfortable buyers leave quickly and do not fully evaluate your homes potential for them.
   
5. Be Gone There are always exceptions to this rule…but not as many as you would like to think. Having a pet, day sleeper, home office, etc. is not a reason to stay during a showing. The absolute best case scenario is that you stage the home and leave during the showing window. Ask the agent to text you on their way and when they leave if you are on a tight schedule. 

 
P.S.  And if you really want to stack the odds in your favor…Hire a professional Realtor!  Visit us at www.teamgreer.com