When showing your home, don’t mask smells with candles or potpourri. There’s no sense in replacing one odor with another. Buyers will wonder what odor you are trying to hide. But keep the exotic spices and fish to a minimum when cooking the night before a viewing. Work towards achieving a “clean” smell.
Sometimes you do not have the proper notice when someone wants to view your home.
If you have cooked something “smelly” the night before, open some doors and windows to help air it out.
Do not run around with the Lysol. This will leave a medicinal odor and could be worse than what you started with.
Remove animals and litter boxes from the property. Find “Spot” a temporary home. Dog smell is not going to entice potential buyers.
This is a best case scenario, maybe you have a friend or relative that will watch your pet, maybe not. Whatever you do, make sure the dog is on a leash and in the backyard and all dog droppings are picked up. Make sure the cat box is clean and odor free.
For the showing don’t turn on all the lights. Nobody looks his or her best under stark light, including your house. Offer a nice balance of natural lighting, table and floor lamps, or tasteful overhead lights. The idea is to create a mood.
Prior to the showing don’t paint all walls white. White walls can look too institutional. Besides, colored walls are en vogue. Try a neutral color like beige with yellow undertones or a mossy green. You want to make the house look larger and give warmth.
Get rid of dated wallpaper. While wallpaper is making a comeback, dated wallpaper will always be, well, dated. Since it’s not easy to paint over wallpaper, removing it is the best option. If you want to spend the money, there are primers that make it possible to paint over wallpaper.
Be mindful of the carpeting. If the carpeting is in bad shape, shampoo it or replace it. Never give the buyers an allowance to replace the carpets. Do it yourself and do it before the showing. Choose a neutral color, not vivid.
Remove window screens. Screens take away from allowing natural light inside. Plus, no one will notice they are missing.
Remove all knick-knacks under 10 inches tall. We all have random, small objects that clutter our home. Pack them up and put them under the bed. You want to show off your house not your collection of knick-knacks.
Put away holiday decorations. Unless you are showing your home during the holiday season, make sure to put away all holiday paraphernalia.
Don’t spend a fortune on improving your home. It’s worth the investment to spend some money on enhancing your home, but don’t go overboard.
If you are going to show your home yourself, try to see it as a potential buyer will and as you did when you first bought it.
If a realtor is showing it, it’s easier if you leave and let them do their job. After all that’s what you will be paying them for.
So your house sold, now you need to look into moving.