Before the first home showing…

  • Give every room a thorough cleaning and remove clutter. Think about less frequently used items and even clothing that you won’t be using for the next several months and consider storing them off-site. Experts say that we become conditioned to see only about 30% of everything that we have in our homes, whereas the eyes of a potential buyer will stop on every item. De-cluttering will allow buyers to focus on the best elements of your home.

  • Inspect your home from top to bottom and repair plaster damage, dripping plumbing, dingy paint, basement moisture and any other items of deferred maintenance. Show potential buyers that your home has been well maintained and cared for.

  • Keep the lawn neat and walkways edged. Re-establish foundation beds with a fresh edge if necessary, and new mulch if possible. Give the paint and hardware on your front door a critical review, as this will be a buyers first impression of your home.

  • Wash windows and vacuum dusty exhaust vents. Use a “magic eraser” to remove black marks on floors, baseboard trim, stair risers and walls.

  • Have carpeting cleaned.

  • Refrain from using scented “plug-in” deodorizers. These tend to make potential buyers think that you are covering up an offensive odor. Additionally, some of the plug-ins scents are so overwhelming that they simply turn off the buyer. If you have a problem with an odor in your home, getting to the root cause and making necessary corrections before you list your home is critical.

  • Put away pet bowls, leashes and toys prior to a showing. Not all buyers will love your pet as much as you do, and you want to make your home appeal to the widest range of buyers as possible.

  • Remove personal photos. You want potential buyers to spend their limited showing appointment focusing on the features of your home instead of your family vacation.

  • Turn on every light fixture prior to a showing, regardless of the time of day or evening.

  • Always leave your home prior to a showing, so that potential buyers can visualize themselves living in the home instead of you. Give them time to make that emotional transference.

Questions?

CONTACT KAREN TODAY

Specializing in the City of Pittsburgh and its Southern Communities

Cell: (412)-874-3946
Office: (412-200-5763
Email: karen@karenfrank.com