Posts Tagged ‘showings’
Selling Your House Sucks.
Yes, I am here to tell you, it really does. Just like moving 29 times between high school and my first home purchase sucked. But it is just part of life - and unless you want to live in the same house for the rest of your life, it is something that you are going to have to deal with.
There are, however, some things that you can do to make it easier on everyone - you, your family, your Realtor, your prospective buyer…you get the picture.
1. Every showing could be THE ONE. Even if your home is shown 50 times, you only get one chance to make an impression on each prospective buyer. As Buyer’s Agents, we TRY to give sellers as much notice as possible when we are going to show your home, but sometimes, we are driving by and our client asks to see a home at the last minute - if this happens, please allow the showing, even if it is inconvenient.
2. Leave the house looking like it is Open House Day - every day. You never know when a prospective buyer is going to pop in, and you might not have time to go home and tidy up before. So, make the beds, do the dishes, and keep the dog somewhere else, every time you leave.
3. Speaking of dogs. Please, I know that you love your dog, but not everyone does. Please consider keeping Fido somewhere else, anywhere else, while your home is on the market!!
4. Stage your home. If you can’t do this effectively, find someone who can. You might love playing ping-pong in the dining room and having your home office on the kitchen counter, but if a prospective buyer can’t picture their stuff in your house, they are not going to buy it.
5. The outside is just as important as the inside. Consider borrowing a lovely patio set if you don’t have one, and place some pots of beautiful flowers or evergreens strategically to make the most of your outdoor space, no matter what time of year it is.
But, and this is the most important thing, when people want to look at your house, LET THEM. Don’t cancel or reschedule showings - this not only tells the buyer that your house isn’t always perfect, it also tells the Buyer’s Agent that you are going to be difficult to work with throughout the purchase process. They are going to assume that you are going to be inflexible with inspection issues, that you are going to be tough to negotiate with, and that you are going to find a way to make the deal difficult, and they are going to nudge their buyers in another direction. If you don’t really WANT to sell your house badly enough to let people see it, then they are not going to want to sell it, bottom line.
Selling your house sucks. Getting a call from the showing service at 8:09 a.m. for a 9 o’clock showing on a Saturday morning when the kids are actually sleeping late for once bites. Being forced out on a snowy Sunday afternoon so that your house can be shown blows.
But suck it up and deal with it, because even the most inconvenient showing could be THE ONE that sells your place!!
How messy could it possibly be?
OK, we all know it is a serious pain in the booty to have your house on the market. Real estate agents call at the last minute and want to show it, sometimes they are even sitting outside, waiting for the lockbox code with buyers in their backseat - while you are trying to get the kids breakfast and clean up after last night’s supper. (more…)