I read an article in REALTOR Mag last month about the top 10 "worst home-showing offenses" - in other words, major mistakes people make when showing their homes. I'd like to share them with you, along with tips for avoiding them.
The sixth mistake is one that seems obvious but can be hard to keep up with: your home should be clean and orderly for showings. It's extra work to keep your home ready to be seen, and it requires you to pay attention to big and small things. Make sure there aren't any piles of laundry sitting around, or muddy tracks on the floor near the doors. Take out the trash and make all the beds. And make time to clean thoroughly on a regular basis: wash windows, clean the sinks, vacuum carpets and put out fresh towels.
To start you off, here's a blog post about how to clean your house like a professional, written by a woman who's worked in the hotel industry:
http://thisladyshouse.com/content/how-clean-your-house-professional. For more ideas and cleaning tips, check out some of the pins on my
"real estate help" board on Pinterest. Don't forget about odors, too -
item three on the mistakes list, bad smells, still applies.
