You have taken care of any problems, you’ve cleaned your home and possibly even hired a Professional Home Stager. You’ve hired a realtor and your home is about to go on the market. Everything seems to be ready for the big show! Here are a few tips to prepare your home for buyer showings.

1) Open all blinds, drapes and turn on all lights- yes even in the daytime. The brighter a space can be, the better. Think of shopping for jewellery, the display case is filled with light and the rings never look as good as when they are there.

2) If the weather permits, open the windows and air out the home. Odours are one of the biggest distractions to potential buyers when they are in a home. Another tip is to cut some lemons and microwave them for 20 seconds. The smell of lemon always makes a space seem cleaner.

3) Have some fresh flowers in view. Flowers are an inexpensive way to add interest to a space. Also, fresh flowers suggest that the home is well taken care of.

4) Remove all clutter and empty the garbage. Buyers do check.

5) Set your thermostat at a comfortable level.

6) If you have pets, remove them from the home. This is especially true of big dogs- many people are afraid of dogs and you could actually scare off a serious offer.

7) When your agent or another agent is showing your home, leave! Psychologically most buyers need to ‘see themselves’ living in your home and they have a hard time doing so when you are there.

8) If selling in the winter months, have some photos available to show what the landscaping looks like in the summer.

9) Leave out utility bills.

10) Clean, clean, clean.

When selling your home, the most important thing you can do is to create an atmosphere to encourage buying. Home buyers are most focused when you remove items that will distract them and cause them to loose concentration. In the end, buyers have to feel good about a home before they will buy it.