Showing your house in Martinsburg and Hagerstown can be incredibly stressful, especially if you have young children in your house. It feels as if everything needs to be completely picked up at all times so you can accommodate requests for a showing at the drop of a hat.
After all, the better you can work around the schedules of interested buyers, the more likely you are to sell your house, right?
Not necessarily. It’s not always how quickly you can show your house that matters, but how your house appears when you do show it.
To set you up for a painless process, here are 4 things you should do before showing your house in Martinsburg and Hagerstown:
DECLUTTER
This is an essential first step to getting your house ready to show. The more stuff you have in the house, the more claustrophobic it feels and the more difficult it is for potential buyers to picture themselves in the space.
If you’re living in your home while showing it, it can be tough to figure out exactly what items you will and won’t need for the time you’re going through the sales process. This is an especially difficult thing if you have children, as you want to make sure they have access to the clothes and toys they love while also keeping the house as clutter-free as possible.
Do your best to pare down the number of items – furniture, knick-knacks, personal effects, and books, for example – in every room. This includes going through all closets and storage spaces because potential buyers will look inside them and you don’t want them to be attacked by an avalanche of stuff.
If necessary, rent a portable storage unit you can keep in your driveway. This allows you to have access to things you may need on occasion without keeping them in your house.
DEEP CLEAN
When showing your house in Martinsburg and Hagerstown, you want it to be as clean as possible. Probably more clean than it has been since the day you moved in.
When you first get ready to list your house, be sure to scrub down every nook and cranny of your home. Wash curtains and blinds, get in all the corners with a toothbrush and wipe down cabinets. If necessary, hire someone to come help you do this deep clean to reduce your own stress.
Leave no stone unturned on this deep clean, because you can guarantee someone will find the cobwebs in your closet.
KEEP IT CLEAN
This is the toughest part of all, especially if you’re busy with work, finding a new house, and other activities.
The day before a showing, make sure to tackle a wipe-down of all surfaces, including appliances, sinks, toilets, tables, and floors. Vacuum from the farthest corner out toward the door so you don’t disturb the vacuum lines.
And make sure that anything that doesn’t have a logical place in the home gets swept to the car with you when you take off before the showing.
CHECK THE SMELLS
Not only do you want your house to look clean when showing your house in Martinsburg and Hagerstown, you want it to smell clean, too.
If the weather permits, open the windows and air out your house while doing your final cleaning pass. Baking bread or brewing some coffee can be a comforting smell for some buyers, as can simmering some apple cider on the stove in colder months.
Avoid strong sprays and candles at all costs, as the scent can turn some buyers off or if the person is allergic, it can even cause an attack.
Help with Showing Your House in Martinsburg and Hagerstown
Showing your house in Martinsburg and Hagerstown doesn’t have to be stressful. Our team of real estate professionals can help! Contact us today at 3017071678.