Aug. 16, 2021
The BIG day is finally here. You have completed all my pre-listing checklist and ready to get your house under contract. Here are some quick tips on what to do and not to do for each showing.

1) Turn All Lights On
Let there be light. Let’s showcase all that your house has to offer by turning on all the lights including that little light above your stove.
2) Open Blinds
Natural light is very appealing to a lot of buyers. Go ahead and let the sunlight shine into your beautiful home. If a window faces something unsightly like a dumpster consider slightly opening the blinds to let some light into the room.
3) Remove All Bathroom Rugs
Go ahead and roll them up and neatly place them under your kitchen or bathroom sinks. We want to highlight your beautiful floors. Besides, the buyers are going to lift them up anyways to see if there is any damage underneath them. Let’s show them we have nothing to hide.
4) Remove All Dish Towels
I’m just as guilty of having a dishtowel hanging from the stove or refrigerator door. I’m not selling my house though. Remove the dish towels to highlight the appliances that the buyers may request to remain.
5) Freshly Cut Lawn
In the pre-listing checklist, we discussed the need to spruce up the yard. Let’s knock them off their feet and do a fresh cut, edge and blowing off a day or two before the first showing date. Be sure to remove any pet poop as well as they may walk around your yard and inadvertently bring it back into the house. Gross!
6) Unlock All Doors
Do you know that closet door that’s locked because it has a gun case or the door in little Johnny’s room that leads to attic storage space that you don’t want little Johnny accessing? The buyers want to see that space. Let’s show them all the storage space that your house has to offer.
7) Lockbox
If we didn’t secure the lockbox to the front door then be sure to place the lockbox outside in the designated space that we discussed. I sure would hate a buyer to make an offer on another house just because they couldn’t access your house.
8) Germophobe?
Do you hate the idea of letting strangers into your house when you run a tight and clean house? Feel free to leave booties for shoes, hand sanitizer, etc. by the door. I’ll even be glad to create a flyer that requests buyers to place the booties on and use hand sanitizer upon entering and leaving the house.
9) Valuable Items
Unfortunately, there are some bad people in this world. Be sure to securely store valuable items such as watches, jewelry, money, and electronics or take them with you. Oh, don’t forget prescription medicine. Yes, people may take that too. 1
10) Handouts
Be sure to leave the handouts we previously discussed near the door for buyers to take. These may include important features about your house, surveys, appraisals, etc.
11) Tidy House
We addressed deep cleaning in the Pre-Listing Check but let’s go back through the house to make sure carpets have just been vacuumed, floored swept and mopped, beds are made, dishes are put up, dog/cat bowls are hidden, etc. You get the picture.
12) Check Temperature
I’ll never forget showing a house in the middle of the Summer and the upstairs AC was turned off. It was 89 degrees and sweat was pouring out of me. This is a drastic example but make sure your thermostat is set between 70-72 degrees. Place the thermostat closer to the lower range during the Summer and on the higher end during the Winter. Buyers will appreciate this kind gesture.
13) Odors
Let’s cover this item one more time. What did you have to eat last night or this morning? Does your home smell of dog? It’s time to remove all those smells and make your home smell neutral like Switzerland.
14) Set The Mood
Consider playing music through your surround sound and/or TVs for buyers. I wouldn’t recommend very hard music like heavy metal or explicit rap. You can create a playlist or often choose one of from your TV provider. Don’t know which music is best? Try a quick Google search of “best music to play for home showing” and there are multiple recommendations.
15) Don’t Be Trashy
Take out that trash or you won’t get that spending cash. Yes, I stole that line but it rings true. You want your house sold? Let’s remove all those smelly items and get your house sold.
Please consider taking all of these steps and hopefully, your home may sell quickly and for top dollar. For more showing tips, please contact me at 205-600-8682, via email or leave a comment.
Other Related Articles
Pre-Listing Checklist for Home Sellers