As you can expect, one of the most important moments for buyers when shopping for homes is when they see the property in person. This is why we at Conna O’Donovan Real Estate recommend sellers put time and care into preparing their home to show before buyers come to visit. Don’t risk losing buyers because of little things you missed or overlooked. Follow this list below to be sure your home is in top shape before welcoming.

1. PREPARE TO BE FLEXIBLE

As soon as Conna O’Donovan Real Estate puts your home on the market, you will receive calls from agents asking to show your home.  At times calls will come when it’s least convenient, requiring you to stop what you’re doing, change your plans, and accommodate the interested buyers.  This can be frustrating, but don’t be discouraged! Showings can take as little as a half hour to complete, and are essential to the home selling process. Our advice to sellers is to do your best to remain flexible and welcome any opportunity to show your home. If you receive a call with someone looking to view your home at the last minute, simply ask for 15 minutes to prepare the house, gather your family and pets, and leave the home to the potential buyer.

2. USE A SUPRA LOCKBOX

For your safety and security, we recommend that you never open the door for an agent or buyer, or leave the front door unlocked. Instead, let them use the lockbox we provide you to access your home. A lockbox is a great way to track who has visited, and allows us to follow up with prospective buyers to receive feedback for how the home showed. It also encourages agents to show your home more because of how easy it is for them to gain entry. But most importantly, it keeps you and home home safe and secure.

3. CLEAN UP YOUR HOME

Already you should have the majority of the work finished, having followed our Preparing Your Home to Sell guidelines and repaired, cleaned, and staged your home for listing. Now, with a selling agent scheduled to visit your home with interested buyers, all you need to do is tidy up a bit. Keep your home relatively clean while listing so cleaning up before showing is quick and easy.

4. LIGHT UP THE SPACE

While cleaning up a bit, turn on all the lights in the house, including fixtures, lamps, and porch lights, open the curtains, and make sure your home feels as bright, warm, and welcoming as possible.

5. LEAVE YOUR HOME

After everything is set and ready, we recommend sellers leave their home before the buyers arrive. Buying a home is an emotional experience for most people, and people often want space and privacy to evaluate a home’s fit for their needs and wants. Plan to run errands or grab a coffee while the showing takes place, and if leaving the home is not possible, quickly say hello to the buyers when they arrive before staying out of the way as they tour the home

6. HAVE A PET PLAN

When listing and showing your home, our aim is to give the property potential buyer’s complete attention. Pets are a typically a big distraction, so it’s a good idea to plan for them to leave the home, or at least be outside, while a showing is in progress. If possible, take your pet with you on your way out, or put them in the backyard or kennel outside to keep them out of the way. Let the visiting agent know if a pet is still present.

7. LEAVE A TREAT

We will set up a place to display flyers and other information about your home to potential buyers, but including a snack, sweet, or drink for your visitors is always a little plus, and cost hardly anything at all. Buyers appreciate the gesture after visiting countless homes in a given day, and it can make you and your home stand out that much more.