You decided to take the plunge and sell your house and it is about to hit the market.. so what is next?? OH NO – the dreaded showing process… trust us when we say we understand showing your home may be frustrating and inconvenient, but unfortunately it is necessary. To make sure you show your home properly, we created a list of tips for showing your home and tricks to make it easier and help you find the right buyer as soon as possible. Remember the quicker you find a buyer – the quicker the showings cease! 🙂
BE FLEXIBLE: This is the number one tip we can give you. We cannot stress enough how much we really recommend not limiting showing times and trying to accept every single showing request you receive. If you deny a showing request you may never see that buyer again. Some buyers are from out of town and this may be their only day in town looking at potential properties. Also, some may end up finding something else that day (although your house may have been a better fit for them). Just remember restricting showings/showing times restricts potential eyeballs from seeing your home.
DON’T BE HOME: The number one goal of all showings is to make the buyer feel already at home. However, when the seller (a stranger to the buyer) is at the house, that is a hard thing to do! I have showed hundreds of homes – and the majority of the times when there is a seller in the house – I can promise you everyone is on edge and uncomfortable. The showings always end up being cut short. You want the buyer to be able to express themselves and explore the home at their own pace so just don’t be there. This is a great excuse to go to the library, grab a coffee, hit the gym, go for a walk, etc.. feel free to be anywhere but the house.
HAVE A GAME PLAN: Showings may come in last minute – have a game plan for leaving the home quickly. If you have kids, have a bag packed so you can leave and head to the park. We know showings can be frustrating – but the more flexible the sooner the house will sell and the showings will stop!
KEEP IT FRESH & TIDY: Remember you live in a house one way and sell a house another. Have a daily routine to keep the house tidy:
- Vacuum/Sweep/Mop
- Make Beds
- Pull Things Off the Countertops
- Take the Garbage Out
- Clean Litter Box
- Are the dishes put up?
- Clothes put up?
- Dog toys put up?
NO PETS: Okay we at Nashville on the Market are animal lovers but please.. please please.. no pets. Just like we suggest you leave – pets should also be removed from the home. They are a huge distraction to buyers. The last thing a buyer wants is to have to listen to a loud obnoxious dog barking the entire time they are trying to see a property. Similarly, many animals do not react well to strangers when the owners are away (which you may not be aware of) so at the VERY least crate the animals.
I recently just had a showing with no less than 9 cats and one HUGE rabbit roaming the home. When the buyer and I went in the basement one of the cats ran down and crawled under the house.. we spent 10 minutes trying to get the cat from under the home. This showing is one I will never forget – but let me tell you the buyer did not buy this house.
KEEP CARS OUT OF THE WAY: This is something most people don’t think of but a lot of times buyers and their agents come in multiple cars and need room to park. I have had to circle the block for parking many times – so just try to make sure there is as much room as possible to make the showing easy.
LIGHT & BRIGHT: Pull curtains back and push blinds up. Try to make the home as open, light, and bright as possible. As an agent, when showing a buyer the first thing I try to do is put on all of the lights in the house to make it light and bright. So if you have a showing scheduled and can remember before you leave – switch on all the lights. No one wants to buy a dark and gloomy home!
LOCK UP OR REMOVE VALUABLES: We only allow licensed real estate agents and their clients in the homes. However, to be safe, always keep valuables, medications, guns etc. locked up or hidden away. I always say it is better to be safe then sorry.
BE PREPARED FOR HICCUPS: Unfortunately, an agent may forget to turn off all the lights, or a buyer may “have to go” and forget to flush the toilet. You may receive feedback that isn’t pleasant.. there are things that may happen that you won’t love – but try to go with the flow as much as possible when showing your home. Remember not everyone is as polite as we are. 🙂
EXTRA CREDIT FOR A SUPER SELLER: If you know a buyer is coming back for a second showing.. leave some fresh baked cookies and a little note out welcoming them 🙂
If you are interested in selling your home – give us a call or text directly at 615.310.8661 or email us at lisa@nashvilleonthemarket.com
xoxo,
Lisa Stigliano
Nashville Listing Agent
Co-Owner of Nashville on the Market Group
