Showings are one of the best ways to sell your home. Preparing for them may feel daunting, but there are simple ways you can get your home ready. These tips from BlueMatch will help you make sure that all of your bases are covered when you’re ready to show your house.
Clean and declutter
Potential buyers will get turned off if you have books and magazines piled high or too many appliances sitting on kitchen countertops. Clutter makes it difficult for a visitor to envision their own possessions in a new potential space. Start packing for your move early on, and store items in a storage facility to create open space for visitors.
Cleaning is often overlooked, but potential buyers will notice dirt and grime build-up immediately. Give your home a deep cleaning, paying particular attention to these areas:
- Your floors: Sweeping and mopping are key, but take it a step further by cleaning the grout between tiles and shampooing your carpet.
- Your walls: If your walls need more than a wipe-down, it may be worth repainting them. If you don’t have the time or budget to sink into a paint job, removable wallpaper can give your walls new life hassle-free and in a hurry.
- Your ceiling: Use a duster with an extendable arm to clean ceiling fans, high window ledges, and cobwebs in corners. Be sure to address your high surfaces before your floors so you can clean any debris that falls.
You may want to consider hiring a cleaning service to help you prepare your home. Professional cleaners have a systematic, efficient approach to tidying up your home, and will help free up your time to focus on other selling to-dos. FreshBooks notes that most homeowners spend between $90 and $150 on cleaning services, so it’s an affordable and worthwhile investment.
Identify needed repairs
Take a walk through your home and make a list of repairs that need to be done. These could include leaky faucets, faulty door latches, or even window panes that need to be sanded down and re-varnished. Approach your list realistically, and make sure that any repairs you decide to do yourself are manageable.
Remove items not included in the sale
If you’re not planning on including seemingly-affixed features in your home sale, such as upgraded light switch plates or TV mounts, then consider moving them to storage. This eliminates awkward conversations with buyers when they believe certain items are included in a sale. If a buyer visits your home and doesn’t see something that won’t be included in the sale, they won’t ask for it.
Check your exterior
Take the time to beautify the exterior of your home. Inspect your gutters and clean them as needed. Wash windows and glass panes 24 to 48 hours before your showing so they sparkle for visitors. If your front door looks a little worse for wear, consider giving it a fresh coat of paint. Clean up your curb and mow the lawn to create a welcoming environment.
To-dos for the day of or day before your showing
There are a few seemingly unimportant tasks that you should check off your to-do list the day before and the morning of a showing:
- Set your table using a neutral tablecloth and your best china. This will allow buyers to envision enjoying a family dinner or hosting a dinner party in your dining room.
- Clean and/or change the bedding and linen in the bedrooms. Dirty or mismatched bedding makes a room look less appealing.
- Open your windows to air out your home, and place vases of flowers in a few rooms. This will give pops of color throughout your space as well as an earthy, floral aroma which will be welcoming to potential buyers.
The most important part of preparing for a showing is putting yourself into a potential buyer’s shoes. Think about what you would and wouldn’t want to see if you were visiting a home you were considering purchasing, and set up your own home accordingly. Your BlueMatch agent will be there to advise you throughout the process so you’ll have an offer on the table in no time.
