By Shannon Emmanuel
It's six o'clock in the evening and you are trying to get the family ready for dinner. After a long day the children are cranky, your husband has headed to the couch for a nap (leaving his smelly shoes on the floor) and the dishes from this morning are still in the sink. While diverting your toddler from grabbing a knife off the counter you suddenly realize the sauce is boiling over and hot tomato juice is being splattered all over the stove. At that same moment the phone rings, it's your realtor calling to remind you that she’s bringing someone over to view your home in half an hour. Panic quickly sets in as you realize the enormous effort it will take to clean up and get the family settled before they arrive.
After a few weeks of showings you are at the end of your rope. How much longer can this go on?
If you're selling a home (or have sold one in the past) you know how frustrating it can be to have the constant interruption of visits from buyers and realtors. Sure it's great that your home is attracting attention, but the lack of privacy, constant cleaning and inability to schedule your family's routine can quickly take its toll. How can you survive showing your home without losing your sanity?
It's important to remember that your home will sell much faster if you present it in the most attractive manner to potential buyers. While the comforts of life like cushy couches, tables covered in mementos, pictures of the kids on the walls, lots of toys and a large screen TV may make life enjoyable and comfortable for you they will also prolong the agony of showing your home since buyers will become easily distracted by the clutter these items create.
A tub and counter covered in cleaning products, makeup and bath toys may provide you easy access to the items you need every day but will also make buyers feel they’re in your personal space. This reminder will not only make buyers uncomfortable but prevent them from imagining living in your home themselves. Dirty and cluttered kitchens are equally unappealing and will quickly turn buyers away.
When you have a busy family life with lots on your plate how can you present the right look to buyers without driving yourself (and your family) over the edge? No matter how much you do, the work will be there waiting to be done again and again - unless you take action NOW.
When you are showing your home there are three crucial areas you can address that will ease your stress and reduce the number of steps you have to take to make your home 'open house' ready.
STEP ONE: REDUCE YOUR STUFF
You're planning on moving anyway, aren't you? So start getting rid of items that WON'T make the move with you. Furniture, clothes, toys and a million other items that families tend to gather can all find new homes NOW. Tackle one room at a time and bring two bins with you: one for tossing in the garbage and one for donating. You can hold a garage sale, drop off items to friends or charities or even sell them at a consignment store. The main idea is to reduce the number of items you have to clean, move and store every time there's a showing.
Home stagers recommend putting personal items like photos and collections away when showing your home. Why not get a head start on packing and remove as many items as you can stand to live without and put them in storage until moving day? Not only will you have less to maintain but buyers will find your place more appealing and moving day will be a cinch!
STEP TWO: MAKE LIFE EASIER
Don't plan big events like parties and dinners when selling your home. The work involved before and after is sure to drain you and the pressure to return your home to 'open house' state will take the fun out of the event. Going out for dinner or preparing simple meals that clean up quickly will make life much easier - and remember, it's temporary - life will return to normal soon enough. Save yourself for your kids and family instead of stressing over whether your meal was home cooked or not.
As for cleaning, keep to a simple routine. Try not to start projects that will take time to wrap up and put away. Provide convenient and attractive storage bins or boxes for day-to-day items like toys, clothes and mail so that everything can be tossed in at a moment's notice. Also consider easy cleaning tools such as glass cleaner, disinfectant and wood polish in disposable wipes. A quick wipe of the taps, counters and furniture every evening will keep things looking great and smelling fresh for last minute showings or quick touch ups.
STEP THREE: MAKE AN ESCAPE PLAN
While some home owners refuse to let strangers walk through their home during a viewing you need to realize that your presence will make buyers uncomfortable and less likely to view your home objectively and thoroughly. If buyers feel they are invading your privacy they may not develop a personal attachment to your home – an essential step for making them want to buy.
Your realtor should be responsible enough to take buyers through your home and supervise them while they're visiting, so make an action plan to get everyone out of the house on time. While you may be caught off guard occasionally by a last minute visitor, you could take a short walk down the street or a drive in the car. If certain nights are just not appropriate for visitors it might be better to tell your realtor not to book showings that night and try to plan days or evenings when your realtor can book more than one showing while you plan to be out.
It's also important to make sure pets (and their supplies) are not overwhelming buyers, either by their physical presence or odors. If possible place pets with friends or family while your house is on the market. Otherwise keep items inconspicuous and pets contained (or with you) during showings.
And remember...the faster your home sells the sooner you can get started making a NEW life at your NEW home!
