Ten Home-Showing Tips for Orlando, FL

Your house sells itself.  That said, there are things you can do to move the process along more smoothly.  You’ve spruced up the kitchen cabinets with paint and new hardware, moved all your family photos and personal knick-knacks to a storage unit, and replaced your heavy drapes with sheers to show off the natural light in your home. Now it’s time for your Realtor to bring in potential buyers, and you should keep these recommendations in mind: 

 

• - Make sure the house is spotless.  Your Realtor will let you know when they’re showing your home to someone, so once you’ve done the initial cleaning and purging, keeping it clean should only take a half hour or so before it’s shown. 
• - If the showing is at a time when you would normally be home, leave.  Plan to do your grocery shopping, playdate at the park, or coffee with a friend for this time slot. 
• - Take your pets with you, and put Kitty’s litter box in the garage.  If that isn’t possible, find a trusted pet sitter to take them for the hour or so that your Realtor needs. 

• - Don’t cook a meal the night before that would have a lingering unpleasant odor.  Lemon, orange or cinnamon scents appeal to the masses, so use these sparingly just before you leave the house; less is more in the case of home aroma. 
• - Your stack of bills, any medicines, as well as your valuables, should be locked away.  Potential buyers truly look at everything, and you wouldn’t want your privacy compromised. 
• - If you give the kitchen and bathrooms a quick once-over with cleaning solutions before the showing, stay away from strong cleaners like bleach and ammonia.  The smell could be too much, as well as being allergens for some. A lightly scented multi-purpose cleaner would be best. 
• - In carpeted rooms, run your vacuum over the floors in one direction, if possible, working from the farthest point of the room to the door, and don’t walk on it after you’re finished. 
• - Turn on the lights and open the blinds in any of the darker rooms or areas of your home.  This not only keeps your Realtor from having to do it, but it shows the buyers each space in its best light. 

• - Make sure the temperature in the house is comfortable.  Your family may like a cool home, but 70° is perfect for most people. 
• - Have a basket or decorative bin at the ready for paperwork, pet toys, kids’ toys and other everyday items that need to be picked up on short notice, and store it on a shelf or another out-of-sight spot.  One seller took the basket with her when she left for the showing! 

 

If you’re just walking out of the front door as the potential homeowners are arriving with your Realtor, greet them with a smile and a hello, and be on your way.  You’ve hired your Realtor for a reason, and if there are any questions buyers may have, your agent can handle these, or contact you if there’s something they can’t answer.  Remember to be flexible during this time of your life.  You want to sell your home, so be its best advocate, no matter what it takes! 

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Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.
You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.
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Photo credit: Hendrix Properties