You’re selling your home, you’ve hired a realtor and decided on a listing price. The “For Sale” sign goes up, and it’s time to get ready for the commencement of showings.

What you really want for your home is to put its best foot forward for each and every showing to entice buyers and make them feel at home.

12 Tips for Showing Your Home

1. Give your house a quick one-two clean before you leave it vacant for the showing. No dirty dishes, unmade beds, etc.
2. Make sure there are no unpleasant odours. Open the windows and doors as often as the season will allow for a neutral fresh scent throughout. Some people are allergic to those plug0in room deodorizers, so leave them on the grocery shelves.
3. Children’s rooms should be as tidy as possible. Get them to buy in. Pay them off if you must!
4. Leave a select number of lights on. Review this with your Realtor beforehand as to which lights (if any) should be left on during daytime and which during evening showings.
5. Have the appropriate temperature set in the home. If the house has air conditioning and it is hot outside, let people feel how well it works. If it is minus 40 outside, have your house be a warm, welcoming sanctuary from the cold. Not too warm, however, as buyers will likely be wearing their winter coats.
6. Swimming pools and hot tubs must sparkle.
7. Have the appropriate blinds, curtains or drapes open or closed.
8. Tuck away your valuables. Do not leave pocket-able treasures on display. Put them in drawers or remove them completely from the home during the time it is on the market.
9. Re-set the security alarm code for the time the house is on the market.
10. Buyers do not like viewing homes when the owner is there. Try to leave the house so that the Realtor can speak openly and frankly with the buyers. When the seller is at home, buyers may be reluctant to voice concerns directly to their Realtor if there is any possibility of being overheard by the seller. However, the Realtor needs to hear these comments so they can immediately address any concerns.
11. If you can’t leave the house, never follow the Realtor and client around highlighting what you feel are the features and benefits of the house. That kind of involvement conveys desperation and can adversely affect the sale.
12. Remove your pet from the house during showings. Some buyers love dogs, some hate them. Allergies come in to play and if your pet makes a buyer ill, the buyer is very unlikely to choose your home.

It’s important to remember that once you list, your beloved home packed with your memories turns into a property on the market for consumers to consider. If you are able to treat it as such, and remember that the sooner you’re able to fall into this mindset, the easier this process will be.