Dear Sellers,
Yes, selling your house is your Realtor’s job. But you have a job too (actually, TWO):
- Make the place look as good as possible; and
- Be as flexible as possible when it comes to letting people in to see your place.
Want your home to sell fast? Want the best price you can get? Here’s how you can help. Resist all temptation to the contrary, and please, please, please:
- Be flexible as to the times when Buyers can see your home. Most home Buyers are working during the day and can only look at homes in the evenings and on weekends. If you won’t let them in past 7 pm, they’ll just move on to another property. You don’t want to miss any possible Buyers! Yes, it’s inconvenient for you, but for this short time, it’s not about you. (Remember “the customer is always right?”) Hopefully that short term inconvenience will translate to a quick and profitable sale.
- Leave the house during showings to allow possible Buyers to wander and begin to feel at home. There’s nothing more uncomfortable for a Buyer than trying to decide if the TV will fit on the wall while staring at your great-uncle Ray in his skivvies on the couch. (True story–we once showed a house while grampa slept on the couch! AW-kward.)
- Not everybody likes animals in the house. While you may have the cutest dog or cat in the world (which is unlikely given our dogs own that title), not all Buyers will appreciate your pets. You can quickly dispel hygiene, smell and allergy concerns by removing your pets during showings. Don’t forget to hide pet evidence too – toys, beds, food dishes, litter boxes (especially), etc.
- No smoking in the house! I don’t care how cold it is outside. This can seriously turn-off would-be Buyers.
- Make your bed. Every day. Buyers don’t really want to see your dirty sheets. Plus we hate making beds too, especially other people’s.
- Every time you leave the house, imagine it through the eyes of a Buyer: are there dirty dishes in the sink? Laundry on the floor? Smelly garbage piled in the bin?
Remember, as your mother always said, you’ll never get a second chance to make a first impression and the sacrifices you make while your home is on the market will translate into more dollars in your pocket.
