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! 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.
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

DIY Home Staging

You’ve taken the plunge, and put your home on the market.  How do you stage it for potential buyers, and keep it looking great while living your day-to-day? Follow this guide for some practical ideas. 

• Look at your front entry closely. Paint porch rails and columns, and your front door, if necessary. Replace the door, if necessary.  
• Landscaping is extremely important for first impressions--clean out the flowerbeds, put down some new mulch and fresh plants, if the time of year is right. 
• Get rid of clutter and anything that isn’t necessary.  Go ahead and pack these things for your potential move so you’ll have one less thing to do when the time comes. 
• Clean out closets, and throw away, give away or store anything that you’re not using or haven’t used in six months. Buyers will look in closets and cabinets to see how much storage is available. 
• Clean, clean, clean.  Your home needs to be spotless, but once it’s done, it’s easy to keep clean for realtor showings.  If you don’t have time, consider hiring a cleaning agency. 
• Using decorative containers to store things that you need while living in your staged home is a great way to hide extra clutter. Totes, benches with storage, and inexpensive shelving with baskets are great ways to hide your can’t-live-without things. 
• Rearranging furniture to make rooms appear larger is a huge plus--even taking out lesser-used pieces makes a big difference in how open your rooms will look.  If you’re unsure of this step, ask your realtor for the name of a decorator who specializes in rearrangement and using what you have to improve the space. 
• If your decor is bold and bright, go ahead and give the walls a fresh coat of neutral paint colors.   
• You don’t need to purchase new furniture once you’ve toned down the wall paint--slipcovers are an inexpensive way to make your pieces look like new. 
• Remove personal artwork/photos from your walls and replace with mirrors, inexpensive prints of landscapes or animals.  

Once you’re ready for your realtor to schedule showings, give everyone in the house a responsibility schedule, and stick to it.  Be diligent about keeping furniture dusted, floors vacuumed, countertops wiped off, and dishes stashed in the dishwasher. If you just take out an extra twenty minutes every evening or morning, your home will impress your potential buyers. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

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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To Stage...or Not to Stage? That Is the Question!

Some Highlights:

• The National Association of Realtors surveyed their members & released the findings of their Annual Profile of Home Staging.
• 50% of staged homes saw a 1-10% increase in dollar value offers from buyers.
• 77% of buyer’s agents said staging made it easier for buyers to visualize the home as their own.
• The top rooms to stage to attract more buyers are the living room, master bedroom, kitchen, and dining room.

By: KCM Crew
Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.
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.
Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!