In my 34 years of selling Naperville area real estate, many things have changed. One thing for sure that has not changed is a home for sale only has one chance to make a first impression. Once your home is on the market, it must be kept in ready-to-show condition at all times. With the market naturally slowing after the back-to-school rush and showings few and far between, you must continue to keep your home fresh never knowing when you will receive a most important showing request.
Keeping your home ready is especially true today with most home buyers using the Internet to select homes before contacting a Realtor®. And when they do find a home that they are interested in, they expect both the Realtor and the home owners to be immediately available. This kind of showing can be very good for you because the buyers liked what they saw on the Internet’s virtual tour and now they just need to walk the home to verify that it meets their needs.
Here are a few simple rules that can help you keep your home ready to be seen on short notice:
1. Avoid cooking with foods that leave a lingering odor.
2. Run your dishwasher every night before going to bed so at least it is fresh when a buyer opens it.
3. Minimize the use of your oven while your home is listed. Many buyers will judge the cleanliness of the entire home by the condition of the oven. I even offer to bake cookies for my sellers when they want them so they do not have to – and what a great way of staying connected with them!
4. All beds should be made immediately upon rising in the morning. Even the youngest child is old enough to understand the importance of what you are trying to do and they should at least try to pull their covers when they wake.
5. Bathrooms should be checked regularly so they are always ready to show. If you have multiple baths, think about not using them all while you are on the market.
ADVISE: Your home is competing with other homes for the attention of a limited group of buyers. Your Realtor® can give you additional tips so that you can maximize your chance of getting top dollar.
