One of the difficult things about selling your home is opening it up to strangers.   We will discuss when the best time will be to show your home.  We will consider things like shift work, children’s bed times, working out of the house and other real life things like birthday parties and illness all in an effort to balance the need to make your house available so that other agents can bring their clients through the house with my very real desire to minimize the impact the selling process will have on you.   We will discuss the best time to show the house, especially if it changes regularly due to shift work.  I will also endeavour to ensure that whenever possible you will have a day’s notice to juggle your life and get the house ready.  There will be times when things like birthday parties or coming down with the flu make it impossible to show your house and in these cases, you can count on me to be your advocate.   That being said, access to your house is very important. Buyers have busy schedules and they want to be able to see your house at their convenience, not yours.  Sometimes the nature of other people’s work, like weather dependent businesses; or their situation, such as being here on a house buying trip, might mean that they ask to see your house with just a few hours notice.  You have to expect some disruption to your life when you are selling your home.

When it comes to being ready for showings, your house should be ready to show at all times – meaning as much as possible that it is clean and clutter-free.  Keep the vacuum and the feather duster handy!  And, those last minute touches before someone comes to look at your home can make all the difference:

Turn on all the lights even during the day, and open all the drapes and blinds.

Turn off the TV and play some classical or easy listening music.

Either take your pets with you during the showing or have them caged up.  If they are caged, please let me know and I can warn the showing agent.  It can be very unnerving to hear a barking dog inside the house.  Please, do not let your animals run free, as some are afraid of animals, some are allergic, and sometimes pets react badly to strangers on their turf.

Air the house out.  People can react in funny ways to smells.  You may have gotten used to pet odours or food odours over time; but others walking into your home have not.  Some people are very allergic to scented products, so sprays, candles and other air fresheners should be avoided if possible or used sparingly.  Far better than trying to mask smells is to air out your house and have all your exposed fabrics, such as curtains, furniture and carpets professionally cleaned.  Leave windows and mirrors sparkling.

Set out fresh flowers or fresh fruit, hang decorative towels in the bathroom, and make sure couch cushions are straightened.

If at all possible, leave! Most buyers are uncomfortable when the owner is in the house.  When you are there, they will usually hurry through the house and not really take the time to see it.  Nor will they feel free to talk about it while they are there. In their hurry, they may miss important features, or fail to ask important questions. They want to be able to talk freely about what they don’t like and what they might want to change, even when they love your home.  If you must remain, be courteous, but try to stay in another part of the house and do not make conversation with the potential buyers. The buyer’s Realtor knows what the buyer is looking for. He or she can discuss features and answer questions.

Always secure your valuables, such as jewelry, wallets, credit cards, or passports.  Put them someplace secure, like a safe or a safety deposit box.  Don’t leave small portable electronic devices laying about such as smart phones, tablets or laptop computers.

SERVICE | KNOWLEDGE | RESULTS

Selling Links

Thinking About Selling?
Is Now the Time to Sell?
The Buyer’s Perspective
Renovate?
De-Cluttering and Staging
Selling Your Home
The Importance of Pricing
Marketing Your Home
Showings
Home Selling Documents
The Deal Is Firm, Now What?
Your Lawyer’s Role
Renting Guide
Getting Ready for the Buyer
After Closing Day

Contact Steve

334 Wellington Rd. S
London, Ontario N6C 4P6
steve@stevebaarda.com
Cell: 519.878.5566
Office: 519.672.9880
Fax: 519.672.5145