Here are the top things you should do before your very first showing.
So your home’s on the marketplace, it’s on the MLS, it’s been marketed, and a buyer wants to look at it. Typically, your agent will give you 24 hours’ notice before the showing. Now let’s prepare your home for that showing, these are the top things that you want to do before the showing.
The first thing you want to do prior to the showing is you want to make sure that all of the lights are on. If you’re out of town or at work, the buyer’s agent will turn on the lights. But if you can, make sure the lights are on. Lights are really important, make sure that all of the light bulbs work. And not only that but one of my pet peeves is inconsistent light colors. Make sure all of the light bulbs are consistent, meaning I don’t want a blue light and then a halogen light. Consistent lighting in your house is really important.
Number two, open up all of the blinds and let in all of that natural light. Make it as easy as possible for the agent that’s coming to show the home. Because they want to sell your home, so help them out.
The third thing you’re going to want to do is you want to clean up the home. Now, it doesn’t have to be perfectly clean, but you definitely want to take all of the things off the countertops and wipe down the countertops. Also, wipe down the mirrors in the bathrooms.
Pro tip: Put together a showing box, where you put all of your personal items like toothbrushes, shampoo, the nitty-gritty stuff that you’re using while living in the home. After you put all that daily use stuff in a box, put it in the garage or in a closet and when the showing is over you can easily pull the box out and undo everything,
The fourth thing to understand about a showing is that you’re not going to be present at all. You’re not going to be anywhere near that house. I don’t want you around the corner spying on the buyers and I don’t want you looking at your security cameras freaking buyers out.
You really want them to feel comfortable in your home. Give them privacy. I would say leave a half-hour before and come back a half-hour after. Typically, showings last an hour. Sometimes showings only last five minutes but I’ve also been at a home for an hour and a half. The bottom line is..give them their space. Don’t pressure them. Typically, an hour is enough time for a showing.
When the showing is all done, the home should be locked, but you want to make sure. Check your windows, check your sliders if you’re concerned about security because people do make mistakes. Please don’t get mad at them if they forget to lock a door. They do their very best.
The agent that showed your home should be asking for showing feedback. But unfortunately only about 20% of showings you will actually give feedback. Typically, if they’re not interested in your house, they’re not going to give you feedback. So in a way no feedback is actually feedback, they’re not interested. I’m sorry to say that, but that’s the truth.
As a homeowner, if you’re asking for showing feedback, be prepared for the hard truth. We had a showing the other day and the feedback was that it smelled. Well, what did it smell like? It smelled like pets. So if you do have pets in your house, you are used to that smell. So just be cognizant of that and know that not everyone likes pets. So If you have pets, you want to take your pets with you out of the house. You will also want to hide the cat litter box, dog beds, and toys. Just like you have a go box for your personal items, you need to know, strategically, where are you going to put the dog stuff? Get a plan together, it’s going to pay dividends when it comes to selling your home.
So those are my top tips for preparing your home for your very first showing.
Nick McLean
Nick McLean Real Estate Group
Go to www.nickmcleanrealestate.com