Showing Instructions For Sellers

Just before a showing:

1. When the agent arrives with the prospects, have the drapes, shutters, blinds and window shades open to let in as much daylight as possible. If it happens to be night, be sure that all of your outdoor lights are on, especially landscape and pool lights, if you have them.

2. Open all the doors between rooms to give an inviting feeling. Turn on all of the lights including the lamps. Tune the radio to some quiet, "elevator-style" music.

3. Pick up any newspapers or magazines that may be lying around. See that the counters are free of unnecessary items and that any dirty dishes are put in the dishwasher. Take out the trash, if needed.

4. If you have pets, get them out of the way. Not everyone may share your love for animals. Some people may even be allergic to them and many people, especially those who have been raised in foreign countries are afraid of them. Don’t confine them to a room that might be important for the buyer to see. Consider taking the pet with you or put it/them in the car during the showing, making sure to give the pet ventilation.

5. If you have pet boxes in the house, make sure they are clean and don’t smell. As a rule, clean them everyday to keep pet odor to a minimum.

6. In good weather, open windows to allow fresh air to penetrate your home. The smells in our homes don’t smell to us, but they do to a buyer.

7. The beds should be made and clothes picked up. Bathrooms should be clean, toilet lids down and garage doors closed.

8. If you are at home, take a walk. Buyers don’t feel free to discuss your home when you are there and they often hurry the showing and don’t really take a good look at it, as they feel they are intruding on your privacy.

9. When you leave the house in the morning or during the day, please leave it in “show ready” condition, even if you don’t know if it is going to be shown. It's difficult sometimes and might even mean you have to get up a little earlier in order to take care of these important items. You never know when the right person is going to look at it, so you must always be ready for them. Making a little sacrifice now will pay dividends later.

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