My brother and sister-in-law have their home on the market in another state and my sister-in-law Iryna asked me to give her detailed instructions on how to prepare for showings. Iryna moved to the United States from the Ukraine and while her English is improving, she depends on detailed written instructions when performing new tasks.

Iryna will be home during the day and she and my brother Kevin breed pedigree cocker spaniels – so that will be a huge task removing all the dogs before each showing!

Ordinarily in occupied homes, I have the Realtor contact the Seller directly to schedule showing appointments. However since Iryna has difficulty communicating over the phone, her Realtor Mary will have Realtors contact her to schedule showings and she will relay times back to Iryna.

So, here are my instructions to Iryna to prepare for showings:

Hopefully you will be given 2 hours notice to show, but that’s not always possible. Better to allow Realtors to show your home with the bed not yet made rather than miss a showing. So, be flexible!

Keep your home as tidy as possible so that you are prepared for showings with little notice. When Mary advises you that you have a showing, collect and put away the dog toys, run the vacuum cleaner if time allows and generally pick up the house.

“Light and bright” makes prospective Buyers feel at home, so open draperies and blinds to allow the sun to shine through. Go through your home and turn on lights and bed-side lamps. Fluff pillows and clear away any clutter.

It’s nice to have some soft music playing in the background – not loud and not too taste specific. Select music that has a calming effect.

Although I know you collect dog poop on a daily basis, take a quick scan of the areas in the yard that the dogs frequent and pick up any poop you see. It might not hurt to leave towels or wipes by the door in case someone dirties their shoes! Welcome mats by the front and back door are always nice so that folks can wipe their feet before entering.

Feel free to leave a few bottles of water and some hard candy for your guests on the kitchen bistro table. After looking at multiple homes, Buyers and Realtors are appreciative of this nice gesture.

If it’s hot outside during showing times, be sure to have the air conditioner cranked up. If showing during cooler months, it’s nice to have the gas fireplace on a low setting – for both warmth and ambiance! If there is snow on the ground, have your husband shovel the walkway! [Smile.]

Tips for Home Sellers – prepare for showings!

Take extra house keys with you. You are probably use to entering your home from the garage, but inevitably, someone will lock that door and you will be stuck in the car with anxious pups!

When the home is ready and before your Buyers arrive, load the pups in your car and drive to a nearby park. You do not want to be in the home while your prospective Buyers and their Realtor arrive. Allow twenty minutes for a showing, then drive back to your home. If there is still a car in the driveway, park a few houses down and wait for them to leave.

Now, a few extra things you might consider doing ~

I often ask my home sellers to fill out a questionnaire listing:

• what they love most about the house, which room is their favorite and why (your screened porch is my favorite)
• favorite neighborhood shopping places (groceries, specialty stores, hardware stores)
• nearby parks and libraries
• voting location, trash days, average utilities

The above information allows the Buyers to see that you are friendly and helpful, and they imagine the neighbors will be also. It’s one more step towards them seeing themselves LIVING in your home!

Also, it’s nice to provide a list of home features. While it may be obvious that you have granite counter tops, it may not be obvious that you have 3cm granite instead of the less expensive 2cm. List features whether you think they seem obvious or not, because after reading your list of features, the Buyer may say, “Wow – this house has it all!” You are SELLING your home, so it’s okay to brag!!

Last of all, don’t stress. Do the best job that you can. Some Buyers are going to come on short notice, and one of the dogs is going to refuse to get in the car when you are trying to leave. Take a deep breath and continue forward with your plan.

If you are planning to sell your home in the greater Tulsa area, I am happy to help you get ready and walk you through the process. Learn why our home selling team is consistently top producers! We would love to hear from you! 918-852-5036

Content written and published by Lori Cain.