Showing Your House to Prospective Buyers. By: Paula Horne
This is it…The icing on your cake….The moment you’ve been waiting for ever since you
decided to sell your home. The price is right, the marketing is going well, and you watch
with enthusiasm as the responses your getting: the buyers are coming! It’s now time to
take your marketing to the next level: house showings. How are you preparing for it?
You’ve inspected, checked and cleaned your house thoroughly. You made sure
all, the chance to impress the home buyers by flaunting everything your house has.
Now relax.
You want the buyer’s full attention on your house. But at the same time you want some
elements on your house to be insignificant enough to provide a comfortable environment.
Make sure the house is well lit and aired by opening windows (of course during good
weather) and positioning all the coverings to show maximum sunlight. A dark house,
especially when it’s a big house, will create the effect of gloom and depression; not
exactly the kind of house you’d buy.
During those times when you’re forced to keep all your windows shut, make sure the air
inside your house is pleasant. Some homeowners will bake cookies to keep that “fresh”
air hanging, but if you’re not interested in taking it that far, just be sure to wipe out any
pet / bathroom odors or smoke. There are many different “plug-in” air fresheners for just
such emergencies, even those that smell like cookies. In house showings, the air should
do what it needs to do – allow human to breathe – and nothing more.
Having a pet around is highly discouraged. No matter how well behaved they are, or how
much the homebuyers may love them, it’s not a good idea to bring out your animal. In
addition to some people having a clear aversion to animals in a home they plan to
purchase, who knows what kind of behavior they can suddenly break into in front of your
perspective buyers! If you have a cat, don’t just clean the litter box; completely remove
it from the premises during showings.
Last of all, if an agent is showing your house, make sure you’re not at home. Buyers tend
to feel like intruders when they’re checking details of a house with its owners watching!
By: Paula Horne
Virginia Real Estate Stager
