Thirteen Things to Remove Before Showings…
13. Pet Cages– and kitty litter boxes, bird cages. If they any toys and feeding bowls
take them all out. And make sure you shampoo the carpet where pets reside.
12.Religious or Political Items. A few is alright, but buyers are turned off if its
overboard. Nothing against the sellers religion or politics.
11. Closets and Pantry’s. Arrange clothes in colors, and if you have too much
clothes, put them in storage bins.
10. Personal photos. I don’t always recommend removing photos of the ‘family
‘ but if you have hallways filled with photos or photos on every end table it is
probably necessary. Buyers really DO get distracted by them. so as much as you
like them, during showings-take them down.
And, the buyers do look at them.
9. Bills and personal papers. I understand that you cannot remove these
document from the home all together, but please take the time to organize them,
box them up and put them out of sight. If you have bills laying out on the counter
or kitchen table it’s like an invitation for the buyers to ‘peek’ at them.
8. Money. I would love to say that every buyer (and Realtor) going through every
home is honest, but I really don’t want to test those waters. If you have cash,
cash boxes or coin jars sitting out in the open… put them away.
7. Valuables. Jewelry, watches, valuable antiques…. anything that might be
worth a bit of money that you wouldn’t want to lose. Out of sight, out of mind.
6. Clean all Windows and Mirrors-also all Stainless Steel and Metal appliances.
5. Shoes! If you have a pile of shoes at the door… ask yourself why. A pile of shoes
gives a buyer two impressions. The first? That there isn’t enough storage in your
home. 2. That there are too many people living in the home.
So, in order to avoid wondering on the part of the buyer… just put them away.
4. Medicine. Take it out. Don’t store it on the counter. Don’t store it in the cabinet
3. All things on your kitchen counter and stove..Everything?
Really? Yup.
The cleaner you can leave the counter, the more buyers dream
of being in there. Have you ever been in a cluttered kitchen?
Does it feel inviting? How about a cleaned up kitchen?
Also, if you store things on the counter it gives the appearance that
you do not have enough storage space.
2. No more junk drawers. Seriously. Clean ’em out. There is nothing more tacky
than a potential buyer opening the cupboards and drawers and having things
sticking out everywhere. Box up all the notes, pens, tacks, and odds and ends
and put them away. Chances are you don’t dig in the drawer often anyways.
1. Nothing but magnets…. take all the magnets, pictures off your frige. Make
sure you wash the front and sides. Get rid of all the fingerprints.
I know its a lot of work, but it will pay off ! If you need any advice on selling your
home, please call Brenda @ 708.945.2178