Staging Your Home to Sell Fast for Top Price

First Impressions

The following tips will make it easier to prepare your property to sell.

Outdoors:	Keep lawn neat and mowed. Replace dead plants and keep shrubs pruned. Keep driveway and steps clear of debris. Apply fresh paint as needed, and replace damaged bricks or wood siding. Repair any cracked or broken windows and replace old or torn screen doors. Be sure the faucets and sprinkler systems are in good working order. If you have a pool or spa, be sure it sparkles. Keep the patio area neat and yard furniture in good repair.
Garage:	Remove all unnecessary items. Clean the floor and tidy the shelves.
Baths:	Check caulking around tubs and showers. Replace or clean shower curtain. Repair leaking faucets, and replace tile and grout if needed.
Closets:	Be sure lights work and clothes are neatly hung. Shoes or other loose items should be stored in boxes and neatly arranged on shelves.
Kitchen:	Replace counter tile or grout as needed. Clean the oven and wax the floor. Be sure sinks are clean.
Living Areas:	Be sure drapes and carpets are clean. Apply paint as needed. Be sure all electrical systems and plumbing are in working order. Replace light bulbs as needed.

Instructions

Please take some time to review the following Showing Instructions. Having your home on the market is not the easiest situation and we will try to make it as easy as possible for you. One way to do that is to inform you of what will be happening during this process.

I have experienced being a seller of several homes, so I know and can relate to what you will be going through.

WHEN A REALTOR® IS GOING TO SHOW YOUR HOME:

1. The REALTOR® will call Home Real Estate office to set up an appointment.

2. The receptionist at Home Real Estate will call you to see if the REALTOR® can show your home at the requested time.

IF YOU ARE AT HOME...

• Try to be open to all showings—it could be "The One!"
• Write down the name and number of the REALTOR® who is going to show your home - this way you know who will be coming to your home.
• It is very difficult for a REALTOR® to know an exact time they will be arriving due to showing several homes—if they say 2:00 p.m., figure they will be there between 1:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.

During the Showing...

• Please turn on all the lights. (Closet lights, decorator lights, even the oven lights.)

• Open all the curtains, shades and blinds. We want the "sun to shine in.”

• Play some nice music on your stereo.

• Leave all ceiling fans set on low.

• Greet the REALTOR® at the door - they should offer you a business card; if not, ask for one.

• Allow the REALTOR® to show your home on his own. If it is nice out, it would be great if you could go outside and leave the REALTOR® and the potential buyer alone to look over your home. The potential buyer is much more comfortable this way.

• If they have any questions, feel free to answer them if you are comfortable doing that. It is a good idea to be brief and not to answer any personal questions regarding your situation.

• If the showing appeared to be a really good and interested prospect, please call me and tell me that the showing seemed to be a "Hot One."

• If the showing is a "second showing," definitely call me and let me know.

IF YOU ARE NOT HOME...

• The Home Real Estate receptionist will inform the REALTOR® you are not home and tell them to knock and leave a card.

• The Home Real Estate receptionist will leave a message on your answering machine (if you have one) as to who will be showing your home and what time they will be showing it. It is a good idea to listen to your messages as soon as you return home.

• Please leave some "key" lights on while you are not home. It is nice to leave any ceiling fans set on low.

• It is really nice to leave all shades and blinds open even when you are not home. We don't want your home to appear closed up.

3. I will be aware of all showings through your home and will call the REALTOR® for feedback during the week. It is not advantageous to call them on weekends because they are too hard to find.

After the Showing...

• I will try to contact "good" showings or "second" showings immediately.

• I will call REALTORS® twice to attempt to get feedback.

• About 50% of the REALTORS® will cooperate and give us feedback. We apologize ahead of time for the small % who won't take the time to call us back.