Selling A House In Colorado Springs – Time On Market
WHEW! You are done prepping your home and it’s time to put it out there (and hopefully sell the darn thing). I get told all the time: “Gee, I wish we had done all this stuff while we were living here, now we don’t want to move!” That is when you know your house is market ready…you are putting your home’s best foot forward for the world to see which will reduce your time on market.
What should you expect of your Realtor while your home is on the market? Well, if you have read my Inside Guide to Realtors you can answer that question. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s not too late.
First, remember that whole changing your mindset bit we talked about earlier? Well lets “go there” for a minute. This is not your home, this is your most prized possession you are trying to sell. It only takes ONE buyer to want your home to get this thing off your hands…so it has to be perfect. Every time.
What should YOU be doing while your home is on the market?
- Clean. Everyday. Clean as if your life depended on it. Clean as if your boss is coming over for dinner and you
have to give them the grand tour. The house should be perfect. Everyday. It sucks. I know this. Clean anyway. No dishes in the sink, spotless bathrooms, beds made, laundry put away, no toys out, no hairballs or “dust bunny’s”, and for Goodness sake, clean the litter box and poop out of the yard! - Mow and weed. Or Shovel.
- All Lights on, all blinds open, A/C blasting in the summer, furnace cranked in the winter. Can you say utility bill? I know, it sucks.
- Leave the home everyday so that a last minute showing can happen. You NEVER want to turn down a showing if you don’t have to. This means the house is clean, blinds are open, lights are on, pets are gone or corralled (dogs OUT of the house is better, nobody wants to hear a barking dog or be afraid to go in the back yard)
- Get rid of your glade plug in. The buyer smells that and they think you are hiding something like cat pee or musty smell. Plus, some people are allergic.
Extra Credit:
- Buy a tub of cookie dough and bake 4-5 right before the showing. Makes the house smell great and leave them on a plate for the buyer with a note. Their Realtor is probably dragging them through 20 homes without lunch…plus it makes them stop and enjoy the home for a minute. Can’t do the cookie thing? Candy and a note is a distant second but you lose the smell factor.
- Soft Music playing.
Having your home on the market is a beating. It is stressful, a ton of work, and can be expensive. Keep your eye on the prize! If you were trying to sell your vehicle to someone you would wash it and vacuum it before you showed it to them right? This is no different…it’s just more to manage.
Pro Tip:
If you didn’t get the home 95% of the way there and someone calls for a showing; Decline it. “But Pete, you just said that we should accept all showings?” Your home should be available and perfect everyday…but life happens. If they come see your place and your dog is barking and the house is a mess, they will walk in and walk out and never consider your home. You are better off risking losing them and trying to get them to reschedule than letting them see the house when it’s a mess.