A Home Showing Checklist
If you’re planning to put your home on the market this year, you’re most likely hoping to sell your house as quickly and as close to your asking price as possible. Since home buyers are meticulous about examining their potential new homes, it is crucial that everything in a home looks and works like it should. Set the stage for success with these quick fixes that your clients can use to touch up their home in a hurry.
First things first: Clean
Cleaning is the most important step in staging a home for any occasion. Glass-cleaning products are your friend, because they make nearly any surface shine, at least temporarily, which is the cheapest way to put your best foot forward. If your clients aren’t excited about the idea of using some elbow grease to get their home sparkling clean, consider hiring a cleaning service to do a major house clean and then touch things up every couple of weeks.
What’s that smell?
Odors can be a major turnoff for potential home buyers. Whether the bacon you cooked at breakfast makes the house smell like a diner kitchen or pet odors are lingering in the basement, strong smells can linger for a long time and turn off potential buyers. Consider cleaning odorous areas, opening windows to let in fresh air or masking scents with candles and air fresheners.
Clutter be gone!
As a seller, you want buyers to focus on how great and flexible the living space is, not how cluttered it is with other people’s junk. Remove shoes from doorways and clear out leftover mail, magazines, newspapers and any other objects that detract from the home’s primary features.
Boost curb appeal
We know from stories and hard evidence that people thinking of touring a home will do a quick drive-by first in order to decide whether it’s worth the investment of time to take a good look inside. Having your clients follow these exercises will help increase the chance of getting buyers inside the house.
- Power wash sidewalks and driveways.
- Replace the house number with large, easy-to-read signage.
- Plant flowers and fresh greenery around the front yard.
- Mow the lawn and re-seed the lawn as needed.
- Wash the front windows inside and out.
- Repaint or stain the porch floor if necessary.
Stress to clients that their style isn’t for everyone
Homeowners are naturally proud of the mood they have created in their home, but their style may not be for everyone. Whether the home is decorated in Asian modern or vintage chic, it’s time for your clients to reign in their personal style in order to make the home appealing to the greatest number of potential buyers.
Rearrange the furniture
As real estate professionals, we know that potential buyers are attracted to cozy, intimate areas that encourage connection and conversation. In the living room, your clients can use asymmetrical arrangements to break up big spaces and create more inviting areas for recreation, study or conversation.
Tease potential buyers to explore the entirety of the home
By placing something eye-catching at the top of the stairs, in corners or in hallways, it’s possible to tease interested families to tour the entire home. A piece of bold artwork, a painted wall, or small colorful rugs can all draw the eye and make potential buyers feel the home is larger than it may actually be.
Create a lifestyle
Families who are buying a home aren’t just looking for a roof over their heads. They are buying the idea of a place to live, to raise their family and participate in the community. For this reason, it’s important to accent what the neighborhood is known for. Whether it’s a quiet, grassy suburb or a busy metropolitan center, add the personal touches that help place the home in context with its surroundings.
Add a Home Warranty Service Agreement
One of the largest concerns potential buyers have when looking at a home is the status of the major systems and appliances. Adding Seller’s Coverage from 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty® is a great way to help mitigate these potential concerns, as doing so can help cover the eligible repair or replacement of a home’s major components should an unexpected failure occur. In fact, research has shown that a house listed with a Home Warranty Service Agreement sells on average for $2,300 more and 11 days fewer on the market.
Have an even better showing by enrolling Seller’s Coverage from 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty today! Visit 2-10.com to find out how a Service Agreement can protect homeowners from the unexpected.
