Showing Your For Sale by Owner Home

For tips on important little details you need to know about selling a for sale by owner home, you might want to visit a builder’s model home. You will want to note some of the things they do to make the home look appealing and inviting to the buyer, such as the light, airy, and serene atmosphere of the home. With a new home you might think would be easy, but it can be done in your home also. One of the complications will be your own taste in décor. If you love the look of heavy drapes, dark colors and walls of family photos you run the risk of turning off a buyer. Here are some tips, which will help give your home that model home look and feel.

First you want to make the home look spacious and light. Open the drapes and the blinds to all the windows and turn on the all the lights in the house.  Since buyers have a hard time seeing themselves in a house filled with too many family photos, you will want to remove them all from the walls, shelves, and mantles. Have the walls decorated with sparse paintings or decorations to give the home a spacious look. You can replace the pictures with plenty of live plants or fresh flowers. Fresh flowers have an appealing look on the counter or table.

The smell of the home is an important detail to remember. You can bake bread or cookies, which is a wonderful aroma to walk into. If you prefer something simpler, boil cinnamon sticks on the stove keeping the fire very low. For the bedrooms and bathrooms, set out dishes of potpourri in each room. Make sure to hang fresh towel and put out new soap in the bathroom. Make sure all pet areas are especially clean and odor free. It is usually a good idea to arrange to have the pets out of the house when you are showing the home. Some people might be allergic to your dog, cat or any other household pet.

You want the home to have an atmosphere of serene quiet. If you have children, you will want to make arrangements for them to be a friend’s house, or have your spouse take them for ice cream or to the park. Children can be an unwanted distraction when showing a home. I know that sounds mean, but some people are not accustom to having children. You don’t need to questions children always seem to need an answer to when you are busy.

Make sure the television is off when showing your home this is another unwanted distraction. If you are using an agent, make arrangements to be out of the home so potential buyers will feel free to open closets and cabinets. If you are showing the house yourself, never apologize for your home; this might draw the buyer’s attention to some detail they might have missed.

Only show your home on the weekends and possibly one other day during the week. It is much easier to ensure your home looks it’s best for the potential buyers.

Always have plenty of flyer, and blank contracts on hand when doing a showing. It is also a good idea to have your guest book on hand for their contact information and your notes.