Yesterday, I talked about getting your house ready for the real estate market. It involves a lot of boxes, cleaner, and “editing” of things. Also, probably a bit of sweat.
Trouble is, the sweat ain’t over yet, honey.
Unless you’re one of the lucky ones who sells his or her house in the first or second visit, you’re probably going to have multiple showings to contend with. They can be scheduled at nearly any time of day, and can sometimes be thrown up on you in the last minute.
And it’s good advice that if your agent calls with an appointment for a showing, you should take it. It’s a gamble to say no. What if that was the couple that was going to buy our house? Without any conditions? And with CASH!?!
Don’t let the Cash Couple drive past your house. Instead, have a copy of this handy-dandy “Show-Ready Home” checklist nearby, and start busting your butt. You have a house to clean.
Click on the above image for a free printable of the checklist. Yes, it’s yours! Lucky duck.
I had a realtor tell me that there is always the possibility that someone will be viewing a house in your area, and they might see your sign and want to add you to the tour. You could have a family of 6 touring your house with only 10 minutes of warning.
So I developed a “Panic!” checklist for that. It involves the cunning use of laundry baskets. Oh, I love laundry baskets.
And the 10-minute list is already getting some use in our house.
The one-hour list is much more comprehensive, but I find it really helpful when prepping the house. It ensures that when I leave, I won’t have that “Did I turn the stove off?” conversation in my head.
Yes, the toilet seats are closed.
Yes, I put out the garbage.
Yes, I have the laundry basket full of odds-and-ends-and-probably-some-laundry in the back of my car.
The house is ready to be fabulous. Work it, house. Show ’em what you got!
Print it out. Print out a couple. Or better yet, print one out and put it in a sheet protector. Use a dry-erase marker to check off your list and then wipe it off for the next showing.
Hopefully, with a house this clean, tidy, and devoid of bedtime booze, you won’t need to use the checklist for much longer!
Follow along on the Suburble Real Estate Adventure. It’s crazy! It has laundry baskets!
How can you not subscribe?!?
23 comments
laura@imnotatrophywife.com
Great list! I’m a licensed real estate agent and you only get one shot at showings (buyers rarely reschedule if house can’t be shown). New hand towels are huge! And, I always tell clients to clear any and all toiletries from bathroom counter and showers (nobody wants to think about your morning routine)! Great list! laura
Tara
That’s great advice, Laura. Definitely clearing out all sorts of toiletries and make-up will make a huge difference! I don’t want to know what kind of moisturizer the seller uses! 🙂
Kelly @ A Swell Place to Dwell
Close the toilet seats…such a good one! I couldn’t believe how many pictures on MLS had the toilet seats up!
Tara
Oh, for some reason, toilet seats never seem weird when they’re up – unless you’re touring a house.
Amy of while wearing heels
Your making me want to sell my house 🙂
Tara
Nah.. you love your house! But if you do ever sell it, you’ll have a friend to vent to. It’s a crazy process.
Evelyn@Self Storage
This checklist is fabulous. I am also shifting to my new home, so may be I will sell my home. Thus for selling my old home, I will keep all these tips in mind. Thanks Tara!!!
Tara
Thank you so much, Evelyn! I wish you luck with whatever decision you make – selling your house quickly becomes all-consuming!
Mel
Argh the 10 minute thing is a killer great heck list!
Tara
Oh, thanks so much, Mel. We’ve had a few “Oh no… WHEN are they going to be here!?!?” moments. It’s helpful to have a list to keep your wits about you!
Thea
This is an absolutely brilliant checklist. I really like the way you organized it by completing tasks that are doable in chunks of item available. Great for planning! ~Thea
Tara
Thank you so much, Thea! I really made it mostly for myself. I find that lists really help in those moments of panic! 😉
Danni@SiloHillFarm
Awesome tips! The first one made me smile! Love the sheet protector idea!
Tara
Yes, once you’ve gotten “Panic” out of the way, you’re ready to tackle the rest! 🙂
Sharon
Great post! I love your idea to put the list in a sheet protector.
Tara
Thanks, Sharon! I figure that it makes it easier than printing a new list every time. Waste not, want not… and all that good stuff! 😉
Plus, It’s much harder to accidentally chuck out a paper in a sheet protector! It just screams, “I’m important!”
Bronwyn MayB
Being that I NEVER plan to sell my house ever again (I will just flee in the middle of the night like a bandit) I hope never to need this list. However, it is an awesome list, to be sure.
Tara
That must be a lovely feeling, Bronwyn, to know that your house is THE house. You don’t ever want to move.
I long for that feeling. I’m on the quest for our “forever home” – however long that takes.
Coldwell Banker
Good check list! Also remember to keep your windows clean and if you have the time clean up your front yard and/or porch considering that is the first thing potential buyers will see.
Tara
Totally agree! Curb appeal is huge! We drove up to a few houses where we were wrinkling our noses before even getting out of the car.
Andrea
We just accepted an offer for our house. I did most of the checklists each morning to be able to be ready very quickly. Having the house nice and tidy makes a difference. We’ve been looking at houses and seeing a lot of clutter has been a huge turn off. We bought the pretty linens in all the bathrooms and in the kitchen. We coordinated colors in each room. It pays off. We received the offer after only ten days. One thing I will add as a buyer that influenced my home shopping. Get a professional to take the pictures. That’s what our realtor did. They were attractively done. He had an eye for bringing out the best features of our home. I’ve seen so many poorly done pictures over the past year.
Tara
That is so exciting, Andrea! Congratulations on the offer. Isn’t that a great feeling! And yes, you’re so right about having professional photos. It is such a game changer to the Realtor.ca/.com listing.
Henry Killingsworth
I thought it was interesting when you mentioned that people often have multiple showings to contend with when trying to sell a home. With that in mind, it would probably be a good idea to work with a real estate agent when you are trying to sell your home in a competitive market. Working with an agent seems like a good way to get your home to the top of the showings list.