First Time Seller Tips #6

We've already covered basics on getting your house ready to be listed. Supposedly you're good to go and ready to show show show and sell sell sell. I'll gloss over signing listing paperwork, because everyone's got a different idea on how that should be handled and whatnot- and it's not really important....just make certain you are, indeed, selecting the proper agent and that you're pricing the home correctly.

I appreciate when sellers are not home standing over my shoulder when I'm showing their home. I advise all my sellers to no be home. Take a walk, a bike ride, do whatever- just don't bug the potential buyer. WHY? Your presence makes buyers uneasy in most cases. They feel like they're intruding on you in your home and don't take the proper amount of time to look at your house.

Other things to do for a showing:

• Make it bright. Let all the natural light in that you can, substitute with electric light where need be. The best and most productive agent I've ever met told me once, as a rookie when I hosted an open house for him, "Light this mother****** up!" While the obscenity was unnecessary, it has since become my mantra on all showings and open houses.
• Make sure it's comfortable...too hot and too cold is no good.
• Make sure the home smells good. You already know to have it clean (spotless would be nice) but make it smell good. Cliche's are candles or baked goods....I stay away from candles because of allergies and I don't know how many people want to buy a house because of chocolate chip cookie smell....just make sure the air is clean more than scented- no pet or smoke odors!
• Provide an info packet. A lot of times you cannot fit all you want to say about your home on an MLS listing, here's a shot to put out additional info- ideally at a place where the prospective buyer can find it early in the showing and take notice of what you're pointing out.