Once your home goes on the market, real estate agents may call to show your home anytime, day or evening. Keeping your home “showtime” ready can be challenging, especially if you have children and pets. Prepare your home for showings with our easy to use checklist!
Showings & Open House checklist
1. Eliminate clutter: Not only is clutter unattractive, it’s time-consuming to sort through and expensive for you to move. If you have a lot of stuff, collections, and family mementoes, you would be better off renting a small storage unit for a few months in order to prepare your home for the best showing possible.
2. Keep, donate, throw away: Go through your belongings and put them into one of these three baskets. You’ll receive more in tax benefits for your donations than pennies on the dollar at a garage sale. It’s faster, more efficient and you’ll help more people.
3. Remove temptations: Take valuable jewelry and collectibles to a safety deposit box, a safe, or store them in a secure location during your showings. Better yet, since showings can be short notice, put these somewhere safe until your home sells.
4. Remove breakables: Figurines, china, crystal and other breakables should be packed and put away in the garage or storage. Not only does this keep your items safe, but it also helps people feel more comfortable in your home during showings.
5. Be hospitable: You want your home to look like a home. Stage it to show the possibilities, perhaps set the table, or put a throw on the chair by the fireplace with a bookmarked book on the table. Make chocolate chip cookie dough and refrigerate the dough so you can bake a small plate of cookies prior to your showing. Your home will smell like you have been baking all morning!
6. Have a family plan of action: Sometimes showings aren’t convenient. You can always refuse a showing, but do you really want to? If you have a showing with little notice, get the family engaged. Everyone has a basket and picks up glasses, plates, newspapers, or anything left lying about.
7. Get in the habit: Form a family habit to help keep your home tidy and avoid running around at the last minute before a showing. Wash dishes immediately after meals. Clean off countertops. Make beds in the morning. Keep pet toys and beds washed and smelling fresh.
8. Clean out the garage and attic: Buyers want to see what kind of storage there is and every inch of space presents possibilities for buyers!
We can help you stage your home and get a high selling price for your home! Simply contact us below with your questions.
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