A Home Selling Tip Sheet

Now that you’re ready to show your home, make sure the buyers feel welcome and can see your home in the best possible light. Here's a house selling tip and open house idea list to review and implement before letting a buyer into your property whether for an individual showing or an Open House.

Review Our Open House Idea and House Selling Tip Sheet:

House Selling Tip 1): NOT SEEN AND NOT HEARD

Send children and pets off to stay with family or friends until the showing is over. The fewer distractions you offer, the more the buyer will be able to focus on your property. Many buyers have allergies. If you have indoor animals, have carpets and furniture covers cleaned to remove hair, dander and odors.

House Selling Tip 2): A GRAND ENTRANCE

Remember, when a prospect comes to look at your house, the first thing he will see is your home’s front door! Se sure that everything about your entrance is fresh and clean. Be sure your yard is free of refuse and leaves. If it snowed, be certain that you’ve removed the ice and snow from walks and steps and salted to avoid accidents. If it’s raining, put a small rug near the front door so buyers can wipe their feet. Also, in the event of rain, put an umbrella stand or can near the door.

House Selling Tip 3): LIGHT AND BRIGHT

Open those drapes and curtains all the way, so the prospect can see how bright and cheerful your home is. No one wants to walk into a dark tomb-like house. If it’s nice outside, open the windows so that fresh air fills the house.

House Selling Tip 4): KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING

If you have a fireplace, (and it’s winter), get the fire going. You’re trying to make the house feel as much like a home as possible. A warm feeling from the glow of a fireplace can help set the right emotional stage for the buyer.

House Selling Tip 5): LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT

Take a few minutes to check to be sure that your doors don’t stick or have loose knobs on them. Don’t forget your windows and cabinet drawers. Get all those minor flaws fixed since they detract from your home’s value

House Selling Tip 6): SAFETY FIRST AND ALWAYS

Keep stairways clear and clean, since this avoid injuries around your home. as well as, avoids detracting by distraction.

House Selling Tip 7): EASY ACCESS

Unlock any garages, outside entry basements or storage sheds for the buyers to have access to. Move all cars out of the driveway from the property (don’t park them in front of the house either). You may leave 1 car in the garage. Make sure the garage door is closed.

House Selling Tip 8): CLEAN FROM TOP TO BOTTOM

Display your attic, basement and other utility space [including crawl spaces] by removing all unnecessary articles. Straighten up every room. Make sure all beds are made.

House Selling Tip 9): BIG CLOSETS

Make them look bigger by having them neat and well organized to show that your home has ample closet space.

House Selling Tip 10): BATHROOMS SELL HOMES

Make these rooms SPARKLE! Check and repair any damaged or discolored caulking in the bathtubs and showers; and, be sure that the towels and rugs are clean and bright.

House Selling Tip 11): BEDROOMS SHOULDN’T SLEEP

Keep these rooms bright and cheerful. Remove any excess furniture and be sure to use attractive and colorful bedrooms and curtains.

House Selling Tip 12): ILLUMINATE

Your home’s illumination can be a “Welcome” sign to that prospective buyer! Turn on all of your outside lights when showing your at night and they’ll feel a glowing warmth as a result of your lighting.

House Selling Tip 13): GUEST BOOK

For Open Houses you’ll want to prepare a “Guest Book” for people to sign in as they enter your home. Have columns for date, name, address, and phone number. This is a great way to keep track of your showings and to help you remember how many people and exactly who has seen your home.

House Selling Tip 14): HOME BOOK

You can easily prepare a Home Book with a small white binder and photograph pages filled with pictures of your home in different seasons, pictures of the local schools, churches, shopping, school scores, area information and maps to help give your buyers a feel for the area.

House Selling Tip 15): BE CAUTIOUS

Put away or remove from the house any valuables or cash. Especially if you’re a woman alone, never allow yourself to become trapped in a room without exit. Let a neighbor or friend know that you’re showing the house and to call and check on you within a prescribed time period. And, of course have all buyers pre-qualified by a mortgage lender before letting them into your home.

House Selling Tip 16): MUSIC PLEASE

When showing your house, turn off blaring radio or television. Soft & easy classical or jazz background music can set the right mood, but nothing should be overpowering. Avoid polka, rap, rock, country or pop as these may offend some people.

House Selling Tip 17): EQUAL HOUSING

Try not to offend potential buyers with your personal religeous icons or shrines. Too many items of religeous or ethnic nature may make some buyers uncomfortable who have different backgrounds or beliefs. It’s one thing to be proud of what you beleive, but don’t risk losing a sale by not making the potential buyer feel like this is their new home.

House Selling Tip 18): KEEP UTILITY ROOMS NEAT & CLEAN

Keep Utility Rooms & Closets free of dirty or unfolded laundry. Keep Washer & Dryer sparkling, especially if these items are being offered as part of the sale.

House Selling Tip 19): DON’T PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE

Trying to sell prospective buyers any of the furniture or furnishings, which you are not taking with you, before they’ve purchased your home, can often loose the sale. Wait until after all of the conditions of the sale have been met and all contingencies removed before attempting to sell the buyer’s other personal property items.

House Selling Tip 20):AH, THE AROMA

Put on a pot of coffee, bake a cake, boil cinnamon on a stove or pour some vanilla extract onto a cookie sheet and put it in a warm oven to create a “home sweet home” smell.

These and other valuable home selling tips and tactics can be found in the RealtyThrift HomeSelling Guide. Click Here For FREE Sample Chapters .

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