A common question that comes up when listing a house is: how do I make my home look the best as possible for showings? In other words, what impresses buyers when looking through a house?
Here are some tips that can help a home look great for potential buyers.
Declutter
If you have a lot of furniture in a room, you will want to take the amount down to a minimum to make the rooms look as big as possible. This will also help buyers make a mental picture of their own furniture in the rooms.
If you have a lot of personal pictures around the house, you will want to minimize how many there are throughout the house.
Also, buyers will go through your closets and kitchen cabinets (and many times the refrigerator if it is an item that they will want to keep). De-clutter these areas as much as possible and keep the kitchen counter clear.
If you have an eclectic pet, remove it for a while. Reptiles and spiders can alarm buyers.
In general, try to be as organized as possible. Less is more in these situations. People do not want to fight through the clutter. They want to look at the house, not all of your stuff. They want to see themselves in their new potential living space.
Clean Up
While this sounds simple, it can be challenging to do and maintain; however, it makes a difference.
Keep the floors swept (including the garage).
Wipe down furniture throughout the house. If you have a furniture polish, do a quick run-through.
Do a cleaning of the windows.
Wipe up the stove.
Clean the ceiling fans (a way to do this is to put a pillowcase over each blade to catch all of the dust).
At the end of the day, you want to keep people focused on the house, not distracted by dust.
Maintenance
Curb appeal can make a big difference. Pull the weeds, trim the bushes, put down some new mulch, and edge the sidewalk. These extra few hours of your time can make your property really stand out when a buyer pulls up to your house.
There are many times that people ask me what are the important places to update in a home. The big answers are kitchen and bathrooms first. However, that is the broad answer, also assuming that those areas need an overhaul. The "smaller" items to update would be making sure the front door is looking nice (paint, if necessary), update the faucets (especially in the kitchen), put new hardware for kitchen cabinets, and replace any torn or worn screens.
For Showings
If possible, you will want to turn all of the lights on and open any shades/curtains in the house before the potential buyers come to see the property. There are two reasons for this: it makes the house pop when the buyers first come in and this keeps the buyers and the agent from being distracted looking for light switches.
Try to keep the grass cut.
Also, if you have a programable thermostat that drops or raises the temperature during the day, you will want to change the setting to be consistent throughout the entire day. Many buyers are able to view properties during the day due to more flexible work schedules, people who work second and third shifts, and some people taking lunch breaks to view homes.
Also, as a precaution, either lock up in a safe or remove any valuables or personal information. While most agents try to pre-qualify and stay with their clients during the viewing of a home, there is an outside chance of an issue occurring.
If you are thinking about listing in the near-term or far, I would be happy to meet you to help answer any specific questions on your property and do a competitive market analysis to see how comparable properties are selling in your area.
