"When Showing Your Home Remember that First Impressions Count"

Below is a list of things you can do to prepare your home for a real estate showing:

• Keep the house brightly lit and drapes open.
• Have soothing low volume music playing in the background
• Use lightly scented sprays or pot-pore to give your home a fresh scent.
• If you do not like to use sprays, the smell of freshly baked bread is irresistibly welcoming.
• All floors and carpets should be clean, vacuumed and swept
• Make sure that your lawn and garden have been kept up; i.e. weeding, mowing lawn, cutting hedges, etc.
• Clear driveway and sidewalks of any debris, dirt, or snow/ ice
• If it is summer, water your lawn at least one hour before the showing to present a fresh appearance
• Keep your pets in an area where they will not be agitated by your new visitors and vise-versa
• Clean and repair rain gutters and siding
• Check to see if you need paint touch ups inside and outside of your home.
• Sweep & Clean garage
• Do a check to see that any litter is removed from the front and back yard
• Turn on air-conditioning or light fireplace
• If there are few people in the home, the prospective buyer will feel more comfortable and inclined to stay longer and fully observe your home.
• Repair any squeaky door hinges or floor planks