Preparing Your Home for Showing

First impressions really count with homebuyers. A small investment in time and effort can provide a big advantage when we show your home to a prospective buyer.

Here are some suggestions for preparing your home for showing.

First Impressions – General
❏   House exterior in good repair
❏   House number easy to see
❏   Eavestroughs, downspouts and soffits painted and in good repair
❏   Garage/carport clean and tidy
❏   Litter picked up
❏   Cracked or broken windowpanes replaced

Interior Maintenance
❏   Cracked plaster repaired
❏   Chipped paint touched up
❏   Doorknobs and cupboard latches tight
❏   Leaky taps and toilets repaired
❏   Furnace wiped down and filter changed
❏   Burned out light bulbs replaced
❏   Squeaky doors oiled

Create a Buying Atmosphere
❏   All lights turned on
❏   Air conditioner turned on in warm weather
❏   Fireplace lit in cooler weather
❏   Closets neat and tidy
❏   Halls and stairs cleared of clutter
❏   Drapes opened during daylight
❏   Background music playing quietly
❏   Carpets freshly vacuumed
❏   Fresh flowers in various rooms

First Impressions – Summer
❏   Lawns cut and raked
❏   Hedges and shrubs trimmed
❏   Gardens weeded and edged

Bathroom
❏   Mirrors, fixtures and taps cleaned and polished
❏   Leaky taps and toilets repaired
❏   Seals around tubs and basins in good repair
❏   Floor cleaned, garbage containers emptied
❏   Towels clean and matching
❏   Clutter put away

Valuables
❏   Jewelry and valuables locked safely away and taken with you
❏   Valuable property (such as objects of art, vases, figurines, mementoes) are safely situated out of reach
or locked away

At the Front Door
❏   Doorbell works
❏   Door hardware in good repair
❏   Porch and foyer clean and tidy
❏   Fresh air in house

Kitchen
❏   Sinks and taps clean and polished
❏   Appliances cleaned
❏   Countertops clear and polished
❏   Inside of cupboards and cabinets clean and neat
❏   Small appliances put away
❏   Clutter put away

Pets
❏   Pets contained or absent during showing