- Depersonalize your home.
While family photos and collections are cherished items, they create distractions that prevent buyers from truly getting a feel for the home. Pack away as many of your personal items as possible, to make it easier for them to picture their own possessions in the home.
- Don't cook anything that leaves an offensive odor to others.
Your favorite spices, while tasty and enjoyable, may not be perceived the same way by others. Make your goal to neutralize the air in your home, rather than customize it.
- Be gone during showings.
Avoid making potential buyers feel like intruders. If you're present, they'll tend to rush through and not get to know your home very well. You don't want them to leave quickly, do you?
 Play up your home's unique qualities.
If you have a wonderful drawer with built-in spice rack, put a note on the drawer that says, "Open Me!"
- If something doesn't stay...
Try to remove any items that you don't intend to leave behind, and replace with a substitute, if possible. If it's something important to the appearance and functionality of the house, like a Tiffany lamp, hang a sign on it that says, "This is a gift from my grandmother and will not stay with the house."
- Turn the lights on.
The minute a buyer walks in the home, he forms an opinion. Put your home in its best "light" from the outset - the more light, the more spacious an impression you create. Open windows shades and blinds as well. |
