Everyone looks for the edge when it comes time to show your house. You know that there are other houses on the market at the same time as yours, and you're trying to give yourself an advantage over them the best way you know how, at the perfect time. But most people don't really know what to do to show their house at maximum attraction, especially if you're selling a home for the first time. Here are a few tips to get your home to show great to your potential homebuyers.
The first thing you should think about when showing your home is that for most people, your house is not the first one they see, nor the last one they see. So even though you might not feel like it is, you are in direct competition with other houses on the market. So you need to do something to your house to set yourself apart from the pack, making the homebuyer think twice (or more) about your home, and setting it in their mind over all the others.
How do you do that? Start with the basics. Make sure the front of your home is clean and clutter free. Your yard should be trim and free of any dead leaves (or anything dead, for that matter). The outside of the home should be clean of any grime or dirt. Pay for a power washing, because you'll be amazed at how much cleaner your house will look compared to everyone else's on your block. Believe me, people will notice.
But there are other specific things that you want to do for the homebuyer to set the mood for them to desire your home over others. Two major senses on our body that love to be stimulated are our sense of hearing and smell. Beautiful music and beautiful scents are something we desire daily in our lives. Well, guess what? You can use those to your advantage through the walkthrough. Right before your open house, bake something like a cake or brownies. If you don't know how to bake, or can't do it, buy something that has a pleasant aroma from the bakery and set it in the middle of the kitchen. You also might want to set a few fresh cut flowers throughout the house in every room. This is another scent that people enjoy to smell, and it'll stimulate their minds into really enjoying the comfort of your house. Play light, gentle music throughout the house. It sets the mood at ease, and allows them to relax throughout the walkthrough.
Some other ways you can set yourself apart from the rest is creating marketing material for the homebuyers to take with them. Include lots of pictures of your home so that when they look at it later, all those sensory stimulations will come back to them, and they'll think fondly of your home.
These are some things that you can do, but this is only just an outline. Be creative, but don't overwhelm your potential homebuyers. Put yourself in their shoes and see just what kinds of things you can do around your house during an open house to make your home inviting and welcoming for all their senses.
