Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Wait!! Leave the Light Bulbs!!!

There are many reasons that can cause you to move out of your home before it's sold. Perhaps a job transfer to another city or you've already bought your next dream home and you want to move into it.

If you're like most people, you've decided to move out and take all your belongings. This blog isn't about staging - so go ahead, take your things. It's your stuff after all. No, today I'm talking about helping your real estate agent out when it comes to showing your house in the most basic fashion.

There are five things I want you to leave in your house that will help me show it.

1. 9v Batteries. Do you remember when you were shopping for a new home? You walked up to the front door and while your agent was unlocking the door you heard....beeeeep.......beeeep......beeeeep. I like to call that the foreclosure/shortsale alarm. It seems every foreclosure or short sale has a fire alarm or smoke detector that needs a battery changed. But did you know that a battery can go dead at any time in any kind of home? So, please, leave some batteries for me to change so the buyer doesn't have to put up with that annoying beep. And instead they can enjoy the silence of your home - the good windows and doors that block out the sounds of the traffic.

2. Step Stool. And while we're on the subject of changing a battery in your smoke alarm, did you have any idea that you have 10 foot ceilings? Even a home with a standard 8 foot ceiling is pretty tricky. So leave me a chair (shhhhh, don't tell OSHA) or a step stool. You might be surprised what I am willing to stand on to change that battery, but help me out. I don't actually want to kill myself trying to sell your house.

3. Light Bulbs. I'll put your step stool to good use for you again if you'll promise to leave me light bulbs. And please leave a few of each style you use in your home. I haven't yet had a buyer walk into a room with one light fixture with the bulb burned out and say, "Oh, the bulb must be burned out." Oh, no. They always jump to the conclusion that there is a major electrical problem and we're seconds away from the whole house burning down. (Please see item #1 and why it's again so important.)

4. Smelly things. I probably don't need a step stool to change these, but if you're going to have air fresheners, leave a few refills for me. An empty one plugged into the wall is just a reminder of how long your home has been on the market. I know it seems a little silly, but buyers notice.

5. Dusting spray and a rag. I'm not going to give your home a thorough scrub down, but even a home that's been vacant for one week will have some dust. And dust on those granite counter tops is not appealing. A lot of times I show up early to show your home just to make sure everything is as it should be. And if everything is in tip top shape, I just might run the dust cloth over a few surfaces to give it that extra special touch.

Place these items under the sink or in an obvious cabinet in the kitchen - perhaps a pantry if you have one. I don't want to ransack your house looking for that one drawer that you forgot to pack up. It helps me help you. I'm sure you'd rather do this than have me call you and tell you need to change a battery, replace 3 light bulbs and for the love of Pete, dust! It will take me 15 minutes to do all these things for you and it could be the difference between a buyer writing an offer or walking away with a headache.

For more info on selling your home visit My Website today!