Home Showing Mistakes, Items Eight and Nine: Logistics

Curb appeal is great, but buyers want to
see inside! (Image from Front Door Design)

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 eighth mistake is a home that's too dark to be seen well during a showing, and the ninth mistake is not providing a key for your realtor. Both of these are mistakes that can be prevented through teamwork and communication with your realtor!

A home may be too dark because it takes time for compact fluorescent bulbs to warm up, or because a lamp needs to be moved. Make sure you or your realtor check lighting and turn on energy efficient bulbs ten minutes or so before a showing.

And of course, check with your realtor, or in the lock box on your door, to make sure there's a key available for showings. Buyers need to be able to see your home!

Home Showing Mistakes, Items Seven and Ten: Too Personal!

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.

I'm grouping mistakes seven and ten together, because one is a more extreme form of the other. Mistake seven is about owners leaving out personal information during showings - things like bank statements and bills left on the counter. And mistake ten is the over the top version of that - owners who have revealing or nude photos of themselves on display and don't put them away before showings!

It's easy to forget to clean up piles of financial statements or other parts of your daily life. You might not realize that your mail isn't invisible on your kitchen counter because it's not something you notice. So try to take a walk through your house as though you're seeing it for the first time. Or better yet, ask family or friends to do a walk-through with you!

When it comes to pictures and portraits, you'll want to remember not only to put away the private ones but also to put something in their place. This doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. You can replace pictures on side tables with fresh flowers, and get low-cost art prints to hang on walls.

Showings are a chance for buyers to get to know your house, not you. Keep the personal stuff private during showings!