Home Showing Mistakes

Now that we've looked at all ten of the common home showing mistakes highlighted in REALTOR Mag's article, what can we conclude? Let's briefly review the mistakes.

The first type of mistake is having the owners lingering in the home during a showing. Mistake number two is related, but this time it's the pets who need to relocate during showings. Bad smells in a home are the third kind of mistake, and they might come from pets or from people. The fourth type of mistake is wild critters on the property, and the fifth is oddities, from unusual room arrangements to partially successful remodels, that don't show your home to its best advantage. Dirt and clutter are mistake number six: remember that showing your home off means making it shine, literally! The seventh kind of mistake is leaving out personal information like bank statements. A home needs to be reasonably well-lit to be viewed by prospective buyers, which is why the eighth mistake is poor lighting. Number nine is straightforward: your realtor needs to have a key to access your home for showings. And the tenth mistake is leaving revealing or even nude photos and portraits on display - remember to take those down and temporarily hang landscapes or something else neutral in their place during showings.

A showing is an opportunity for a buyer to imagine your home becoming their home, which is exactly what happens after a completed sales process. The theme that runs through all these mistakes is that they disrupt this imagination and distract buyers from seeing all the appealing things about your home. It can be challenging to make your presence fade into the background in a place that's still your home, but remember that you are trying to help it become someone else's home. Disappear when you need to, and make sure you've put away the most obvious signs of your presence before you do. You'll be glad when all your work pays off and your home successfully changes owners!

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!