A couple of weeks ago we were casually looking at houses and randomly found one that had everything we needed. To be honest, I wasn’t processing what all it would mean if our offer was accepted – this is a HOT market and we had not prepared our house for sale at all. But with a couple rounds of negotiation, we had a purchase agreement signed! It was time to start freaking out about all the things we needed to do to get our current house ready for market.
Our realtors were top notch (wink wink #FPG) and gave us the best tips for making sure our house was ready to welcome potential buyers. And it was so helpful to us (we sold in 2 days!) that I wanted to share some tips with you!
One way to think about it is attacking the 5 senses – or as we like to call it, The 5 Senses of Showings.
- See: You want the space to be clean, decluttered, and shiny. A fresh coat of paint, carpet cleaning and clear countertops are quick ways to make this happen. You could also box some of your extra knick knacks or photos and put them in storage to help your space look larger.
- Smell: Be careful with scents, try not to overwhelm (they may not like pumpkin spice cookies as much as you do.) A good fresh, clean scent will help. If you are able before you allow showings, try to open up the windows and let some fresh air blow through.
- Hear: If your home was a music genre, what would it be? (Only half kidding) You could play some soft jazz, acoustic covers or even yacht rock if that’s your jam. Putting on some music sets a welcoming tone!
- Taste: Pre-COVID, when we sold our first home, I would leave out freshly baked cookies or muffins. This time around, I purchased some prepackaged fall treats and left out some bottled water.
- Touch: Make sure your surfaces are clean! No sticky syrup residue from breakfast or post shower wet floors in the bathroom.
Most likely, you’ll walk through your home with your Realtor for a set of fresh eyes. It helped us see past some things that we wouldn’t have noticed as it was our beloved home we had looked at for the past several years. We went through each room and analyzed it. Were we maximizing the space? Was there anything that could go to storage? How will it look in pictures?
Besides the 5 senses, we picked up a couple other fun tips along the way. For example, I learned that potential buyers will open up all of your closets. They’ll want to make sure their stuff is going to fit, so try and organize them (or empty out half of them like we did!) so the closets look bigger. Also - pull dead plants and throw some fresh greenery around in bathrooms (hello succulents!) and the kitchen. Signs of life – good; death – bad. Speaking of greenery – curb appeal is everything. It’s the first picture they’ll see online shopping and it’s the first view they’ll see when they pull up to their showing. Stand out at the street and see what you can do to make it really pop.
What other things have you done to make sure your house shows well? When deciding what to do to present your house in the best light, consider the return on investment if you decide to throw money at it. If you are selling your home, now or in the future, I hope these tips will help you get multiple offers on day 1!
Full disclosure, I am the Operations Manager of Ferris Property Group, so of course I love our brokerage! Working for FPG has been an absolute blessing to my family (as a mama of 4), being able to thrive in my career but also be there when I need to be at home.
We have also used them to both buy and sell homes, so I can vouch for their real estate expertise as well. If you’re interested in a career in real estate, looking to make a change, or if you have any real estate needs, we’d love to hear from you!
+ Holly Stauffer