Look… I get it. Deciding to sell your home is a BIG DEAL. Whether you’ve lived there for a year or a decade, so many memories come with calling somewhere home for an extended amount of time. For better or for worse, deciding to sell your home is just the beginning. In a seller’s market like today, homes are going faster than we’ve ever seen them go before!
But most of the time, selling your home adds some extra stress and work to your life, which is why you want to set yourself up for success from the start. One of the biggest parts of selling your home is the showing process - inviting potential buyers to come and take a look at the property for themselves.
What do you need to do to get your home “showing ready”? Glad you asked 👏 Let’s get right to it: Here is my ultimate home-showing checklist!
✅ Depersonalize and Detach
This is a GREAT first place to start, but it can also be a tough place to start. One of the keys to showing your home and getting it staged for potential buyers is to make it the least “personal” to you as possible.
Why? Because potential buyers are going to want to see themselves in the home. This could be a place where they build a family and make memories for years to come. And nothing sells better than emotional connectedness. So, make it as easy as possible for the buyer to envision themselves and their belongings in the home from the moment they walk through the door.
✅ Clean and Declutter, Then Do It Again!
This should always be a given, but you’d be surprised. When potential buyers walk into your home, you want them to be amazed with how clean, fresh, and tidy everything is. I always tell sellers to clean and declutter until you feel like it’s where it needs to be, and then do it a little more.
We are going for tidy and simple when it comes to showing your home. The coats hanging by the front door? Tuck them away in a closet. The extra cooking utensils sitting on the counter? Put them in the pantry. You want as little clutter and as few “things” as possible lying around the house when buyers come to visit.
✅ Freshen Up the Smell Too
Decluttering and deep cleaning is important, but having a fresh scent around the house is at the top of my list as well. Light a candle or two before the showings start and add a scent diffuser (my personal favorite are reed diffusers - not too weak and not too strong!). You want the house to smell delightful without drawing the attention of the buyers.
✅ Improve Traffic Flow
Remember, you want the layout of your house and furniture to be efficient, which might mean moving a few things around. Play with the furniture layout to make the house easily walkable. You want the space to seem as big and open as possible with lamps and lighting spread throughout. You might not get it perfect the first time, but keep experimenting! 👍
✅ Leave a Personal Touch
Though there isn’t a lot of personal relationship involved with buying or selling a home, small, personal touches reach out to the hearts of the potential buyers.
You could hand write a note and leave it at the entrance for buyers to see as they walk through the door. If you are a lover of sweets, you might leave some chocolate or another treat around the house for buyers to indulge in. These touches aren’t required, but they go a long way when it comes to remembering a home.
There you go - my ultimate checklist when it comes time to prep for home showings! Of course, there are so many more things we could hit on that will set you up for success. But I believe these are a GREAT place to start when it comes to getting potential buyers to fall in love with your home!
With all that said - happy home showing! I hope this helps you in the process!
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