4 Daily Habits When Selling Your Home

As we enter into Fall, home selling season is beginning to slow down. However, since the FED has decreased interest rates, buyers are lingering in the market longer- which is great news for sellers! However, it’s important that if you’re selling your home- during any season– that you make these four must-do things a habit while your home is for sale! And while you’re at it, check out my list of what you should NOT do while your home is for sale, as well as my list of what to do to attract the most buyers!

What To Do While Your Home is For Sale

Make All The Beds When Selling Your Home

This first one seems so obvious; however, I can’t tell you how many homes I show where the bed has either not been made or a blanket has been haphazardly thrown across the mattress. While you aren’t selling your bed, you’re selling what type of homeowners you are to buyers. You want your entire home to feel organized & clean, and you want buyers to feel like you take pride in having your home show well. A messy bed conveys to buyers that if you don’t have time to make your bed, you probably don’t have time to change air filters, clean the glutters, fix broken boards, etc. And buyers don’t like deferred maintenance!

Tips For A Well Made Bed

• The sheets should match- including pillow cases
• Have a solid color comforter
• Have a couple nice throw pillows
• Make sure that sheets are fitted beneath the mattress
• Add a dust-ruffle to create a cozy look
• Remove any junk/storage from underneath the bed
• Prop your pillows against the headboard
• Accent the foot of the bed with a patterned or complimenting tri-folded blanket

Make It Bright

It should go without saying, but a dark house is not an asset. Some homes, due to location and how it sits on a lot, are darker than others. However, it’s important that every room appears bright and clean. There are multiple ways to transform a dark room with minimal effort.

• Open all of the blinds & shades each morning to allow natural light to flood each space
• Turn on lamps in each room. Lamps create a cozy lighting.
• Turn every single overhead light on in each room before every showing
• Have the exterior lights on at night- this is especially important when selling in the fall/winter as it gets darker sooner

Daily Clean Your House When Selling Your Home

I’m still surprised when I walk into a home for sale that has an overflowing trash can, dirty bathtub, or cobwebs in the corners. Much like with an unmade bed, it conveys a deferred maintenance attitude to buyers. It might be easier to do every evening before bed, but while your home is for sale you should be completing a routine cleaning list of your entire home.

• Wipe down all the sinks and discard out of sight used/dirty rags
• Take out the trash more often than usual to prevent odors
• Sweep & mop daily
• Remove all clutter & crumbs from your kitchen counters
• Have all dirty laundry out of sight in a closed laundry basket
• Sweep the front porch & back deck
• Put all beauty products & tools out of sight in a cabinet- don’t leave on the counter!
• Wipe off bathroom mirrors
• Vacuum all carpet & area rugs
• Weekly clean your windows (inside & out)
• Daily clean the pet’s litter box

Turn Off The Tech

Tech is a great selling feature in today’s real estate market. Buyers love smart homes and all the gadgets that includes; however, nobody wants to be spied upon. From “nanny-cams” to Ring doorbells, sellers now have the ability to conduct 24/7 surveillance on their home; however, buyers and their Realtors frequently discuss confidential information during showings, and those discussions should remain private. While the state of Arkansas now requires sellers to disclose if there is surveillance, I inform buyers not to talk about offer price, pre-qualification status, etc in case sellers are listening. But imagine a seller snooping on that private convo and knowing more information about a buyer’s financial status…and by imagine, I mean it’s happening daily in the real estate market. Keeping listening devices off seems 100% more ethical to me.

Also consider turning your security alarm off prior to showings. As an agent that has had to deal with cops arriving when an alarm went off during one of my showings, I can tell you that having to deal with the police does nothing to help sell your home.

If you’re looking for other tips to do right before a showing, check out my list here.