Homes that show better sell faster than others. This is true in any market. Thankfully you don’t have to get lucky to have a home that shows well. You just have to make sure you’ve taken these steps to prepare your home before each and every showing to make it standout.

Keys to a successful showing:

Make a great first impression. Curb appeal is crucial when selling your home. Make sure the exterior of your home is welcoming and in good condition. Take care of power washing and any needed repairs/repainting before listing your home for sale. Keep landscaping and lawns freshly manicured and clear any walkways if necessary before potential buyers and agents show up. Add a new doormat, attractive wreath or potted seasonal plants to your entrance. These simple spruce ups can make your property stand out AND make buyers fall in love at first sight.

Clear your home of clutter and personal items. Clutter removal is essential for good showings. Sparsely decorated tidy spaces feel bigger and appeal to a wider pool of buyers. Channel your inner Marie Kondo and let it go if it doesn’t spark joy. If you are overcrowded in your current home and looking to trade up to a bigger place it can be very helpful to rent a small storage space to store out of season clothing, files and personal items like artwork or hunting trophies that might not spark joy in a potential buyer. While you’re clearing out and cleaning up be sure to store other very personal items like degrees and family photos. You want every buyer to picture themselves living in your home, not to feel like they are peeking in on your personal life.

Let in the light. No one wants to stumble around in the dark during a showing. Natural light and attractive lighting shows your home in its BEST light. You don’t want buyers to miss any great views or have your home appear dingy or depressing because of poor lighting. Open all of your blinds, shutters and draperies unless you are trying to minimize an eyesore like air conditioning units or a neighboring dumpster. Straighten up before showings and turn on all of your interior lights so your space will shine like a show home.

Make your home comfortable. A comfortable temperature is crucial for a good showing. Check your thermostat and make sure your home isn’t too warm in the summer or too cool in the winter. This will keep buyers from wondering if your HVAC system needs expensive repairs. If you have an energy saving thermostat like Nest be sure to regulate it in advance so it won’t take hours for your home to feel comfortable for visiting buyers.

Leave listing information out and easily accessible for showings. Buyers inevitably have questions while touring your home. Having your realtor leave color copies of the MLS listing along with any disclosure forms can provide quick answers to these questions and make it easy for parties to get questions answered and write an offer quickly if they are interested.

Opening your home up for showings can be stressful but following these tips can make showings more successful and the entire home selling process faster.

Happy showings!

Xoxo,

Sarah

What experiences can you share about your showing experiences? Please comment below and follow the blog. Thanks for reading!

P.S. I’m a licensed Broker Owner with Walsh Realty OneCoastLiving 228-280-3522. If you’re looking to sell or buy property I’d love to be your realtor.