Showing Your Home

First Impressions are Lasting Impressions.

The exterior of your home often determines how buyers will view the interior, so:

  • Make sure your front entrance is clean and inviting.
  • Paint or replace your front door if it's faded or worn.
  • Add some paint to shutters, trim and any other outside features showing signs of wear.
  • Add vibrant plants and put down some fresh mulch.

Staging your home.

"How we live in a home and how we sell a home are often two different things." We will help to stage your home with a fresh perspective and arrange each room to bring out its best attributes, including:

  • Keep windows and floors clean.
  • Re-hanging wall art at the appropriate level 
  • Suggesting paint options 
  • Steam clean carpeting or replace it, if necessary.
  • Suggest repairing of loose knobs, sticking doors and windows, warped cabinet drawers, broken light switches and other minor flaws, check and repair caulking in bathtubs and showers.
  • We will work with your existing furniture and decor to stage your home in a way that allows potential Buyer's to envision themselves enjoying the space
  • Open draperies and curtains to let the light in during the showing.
  • Remove all unnecessary clutter from counter and cabinet tops, basement and closets to better display spacious rooms (if you need help with this our Stager can be of assistance).
  • Arrange all your rooms neatly and remove excess furniture. Keep fresh, clean towels in the bathroom. 
  • Our Stager will help arrange lamps to help smaller rooms seem larger, and large rooms seem more intimate.
  • Use lighting to highlight the "living areas" of your home, such as a pair of chairs near a fireplace, or a table in a breakfast area.

Inside:

  • Clear all unnecessary objects from furniture throughout the house. Keep decorative objects on the furniture restricted to groups of 1, 3, or 5 items.
  • Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen countertops.
  • Clear refrigerator fronts of messages, pictures, etc. (A sparse kitchen helps buyers mentally move their own things into your kitchen.)
  • In the bathroom keep only your most needed cosmetics, brushes, perfumes, etc., in one small group on the counter. Coordinate towels to one or two colors only.
  • Take down or rearrange certain pictures or object on walls. Patch and paint if necessary.
  • Review the house inside room by room. Paint any room needing paint, clean carpets or drapes that need it, clean windows.
  • Leave on all lights during "showings" turn on all lights and lamps.

Outside:

  • Go around the perimeter of the house and discard all garbage cans, discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, etc.
  • Clean gutters 
  • Look at all plants…prune bushes and trees. Keep plants from blocking windows and touching your roof or siding. "You can't sell a house if you can't see it." Plants are like children-they grow so fast!!
  • Keep lawn freshly cut and fertilized. Remove any weeds, dead plants or shrubs. 
  • Patios and decks are an extension of your living space, stage with purpose and without clutter. 
  • Check paint condition of the house-especially the front door and trim. "Curb appeal really works!"

In General

Try to look at your house "through the buyer's eyes" as though you've never seen it or been there before. Any time or money spent on these items will bring you back more money in return, and hopefully a faster sale.

Nine Minute Showing Drill

Occasionally you will receive a call to schedule a showing to take place within the next few minutes. The following is a checklist for this type of panic:

  1. Sound: Turn off the television (unless you're lucky enough to be showcasing your Theatre Room). Otherwise soft music on a low volume, or no noise at all is good.
  2. Sight: Turn on every light in the house (day or night) and open every drape and blind.
  3. Odors: Less is more, do your best to avoid any strong lingering good OR bad odors. Do NOT light candles (you are leaving your home temporarily unattended). 
  4. Kitchen: Wipe kitchen counters, place dirty dishes in dishwasher.
  5. Bathrooms: Wipe counters, flush and close toilets.
  6. Living/Family Rooms: Hide magazines, newspapers, and games; remove clutter.
  7. Bedrooms: Straighten beds. Hide clutter under bed (not in closet).
  8. Exterior:  Put away toys and clutter. Keep walk clear (especially of snow).
  9. Children & Pets: They are a distraction and should not be present on the property during showings if at all possible. 
  10. Goodbye: Sorry, but this is the single most important thing you can do in a showing to help sell your home! Even if the showing agent insists that it is okay to stay, you must leave. Buyers must get emotionally committed to your home to buy it and they cannot become emotional about "their new home" if you, the current owners, are "hanging around." Please, at the very least, go to your neighbours house. Even better, go to the store.