IT’S SHOWTIME!
“Harry, we’re going to have the first showing
on our house this afternoon. It’s so exciting. We
have cleaned the house, put all our clutter away, hid the
cat in the basement and put the dog in the car. WE ARE
READY!”
Or, are you?
As you prepare to get your home ready to show to people
whether they be relocating to the area or people already
living in your own town or someone ready to up or down-size
their house, there are a few suggestions we can make to
help insure that what these people see is the very best
you have to offer.
As you get ready to show your property, try to keep one
very important thing in the back of your mind. ”You
want to WOW everyone that walks through your door“. Every
house attracts buyers but not every house is right for
all buyers. To lean those undecided buyers into picking
your house, you have to make your home really special for
them. Think of showing your home as a Broadway Opening
Night.
OH, WHAT IS THAT SMELL?
To get ready for that Opening Curtain, it helps if you
face up to one very important thing:
Your home has its own smell. Yes, whether you believe it
or not, every home is odiferous. You garlic eaters, cat
lovers and yes, even you smokers must face the fact that
there are odiferous agents at work in your home. Lucky
for you that there are products on the market today that
can help to mask or even eliminate odors. Your neighborhood
hardware store can help you with your specific odor related
problems.
Should you have time before a showing
and the weather is cooperating, it’s always a good idea to air out
the house for at least ½ hour before you leave your
house and the potential buyer(s) show up.
NOW FOR SOME GOOD SMELLS!
You remember growing up and coming home to find bread
or cookies in the oven and what an incredible delight that
smell was. It just made the house really special, warm
and inviting. Well, that is the way you want your potential
buyers to feel. Here are a couple of easy things to do
to help people fall in love with your home:
- Buy a couple of rolls of prepared
cookie dough. If you have time, prepare 4 to 6 cookies
about an hour before your visitors arrive. They only
take about 10 minutes to cook and you can leave them
on a plate with a little note saying something like “Welcome to my home…Please
have a cookie while look around!”
- Have a few loaves of frozen bread
in the freezer. Place one in the oven for about 10
minutes and watch out. You may not want to sell your
house it smells so good. Just don’t forget to
take the loaf out of the oven and be sure to turn the
oven off before you leave. You can just leave the loaf
in the oven until you return.
- Put on that pot of spaghetti sauce to simmer. Even
if it is just the bottled kind, the smells will be irresistible.
- If you want to use a candle, please
only use it while you are in the house. Don’t leave it burning after
you leave. But, a ½ hour candle burn will make
your house a delight. One little hint--men love a vanilla
scent!
THE BASICS:
Before each time that curtain goes up, make sure at least
the Basics are complete:
- Empty all trash receptacles. (All of them)
- Put all your toilet seat lids down (Close all the lids)
- Make all your beds…not just
throw the covers on top, but make the beds.
- Remove everything from the floor that was not designed
to be on the floor, like shoes and clothes.
- Clean, clean, clean your kitchen and your baths since
we know all know that baths and kitchens sell homes.
- Don’t let any pets roam free
during the showing. Better your animals are a little
upset with you than maybe them getting loose and even
biting a visitor.
- Open your curtains and blinds. Let the sunshine in!
- Turn on your lights. Lights give
a home a warm feeling. Don’t be afraid to use
them even if it is the brightest day of the year. By
the way, when you turn on your lights, be sure to have
all the bulbs working, especially in the kitchen and
baths.
There you have it. Now the buyers will be begging you
to allow them to buy your home. Work hard and you will
get a Standing Ovation! |
