When to Leave Your Home & Other Showing Tips
Most sellers, especially those who haven't gone through the selling process before, are very curious about what happens at showings. What do buyers do in their homes? And how can sellers make the process most effective?
If you're at the showing stage, we can assume that you've already decluttered and staged your home beautifully. You can find more tips for selling your home throughout our blog. But what happens the day of a showing? You'll get a call from our office notifying you that a showing has been scheduled with prospective buyers and their agent. We'll confirm the exact date and time, and you should plan to be away from your home for about an hour. That means everyone, all family members and pets, need to clear out during that time. But, our most important piece of advice is this: Don't leave your home until you actually see the buyers and the agent arrive. Why? Well, things happen. Appointments get canceled, people come late, plans change. To save yourself any additional stress and headaches, I always advise sellers to wait and leave by the back door.
But do, by all means, plan to leave during showings! Buyers won't feel comfortable exploring your home with you lingering in the background. Honestly, you don't want to hear their commentary as they go from room to room. And at this stage, they don't want to listen to the minute details you have to share. Worst still, you could inadvertently say something that could hurt the sale! Remember, our goal is to make them fall in love enough to submit an offer.
What else can you do to ensure successful showings? Here are a few of our best tips:
- Make a list of errands and activities that your whole household can do during showings. You can go to a park or explore a local attraction you've always wanted to see. Do the household grocery shopping or tour furniture stores to plan your new home's décor. Just don't wait until the last minute and wonder what to do with yourself.
- Have a cleaning and decluttering plan in place. Your home will likely be staged, so in between showings, restrict your living and lounging to a few designated spaces and put the rest of the house off-limits. That will make it easiest to pack up and clean up for showings at a moment's notice.
- Return your house to hotel-ready condition. Take out the trash. Do the dishes. Stow away laundry and all personal belongings. Remove all pet items from view, including toys, beds and food dishes. Give all the bathrooms a once over. Vacuum and dust where needed.
- Make sure your home feels inviting. That means turning on lights and opening window coverings in rooms with nice outlooks. Keep the heat or air conditioning at a pleasant temperature. Don't go overboard with fragrances or air fresheners that can be irritating to some people.
- Don't forget curb appeal. The front of your home will make the all-important first impression, so try to keep landscaping tidy at all times. Tend to leaves, snow, and mowing regularly while your home is listed, so you don't have to scramble at the last minute.
We're here to help make your home sale as stress-free and successful as possible, so please don't hesitate to ask any questions you have about the selling and listing process.
For more selling tips, contact us at The Maggee Miggins Group. We have a long list of outstanding resources to help you declutter, deep clean and stage your home for a great selling experience.
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