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When showing your home as the seller, it is important to realize that the only reason buyers are looking at your house is to cross it off their list. It is their intention to eliminate as many homes as possible before they make their final decision. It is your goal not to be eliminated from the buyer's list! In the current buyer's market buyers can afford to be more picky and demanding than in recent years. The onus is now on the sellers to make their home as perfect as possible for every showing. The following 10 tips will help you maximize every showing that you have and will help you sell your house more quickly and for more money!

1) Leave - This is THE most important thing you can do as a seller. Nothing will make a potential buyer feel more uncomfortable than you being in the house. If the buyers like the house then they are picturing themselves living in the house, picturing if their furniture will fit in the house, and picturing what rooms their children will choose. If the seller is in the house they can't do any of this because they feel like a guest. This is the last thing you want your buyers to feel - GET OUT!

2) Be Flexible - It can be very annoying to have some call and want to show your home in 20 minutes, however, you need to be flexible and allow them to see it. If they are calling on short notice that probably means they are looking in your neighborhood and for some reason your house did not pop up on their internet search ' but they like it! If a buyer likes the looks of your house enough to call when they are in the neighborhood, they are motivated. Let them see it even if it is not in perfect shape.

3) Lights/Blinds ' Turn every single light on in your house. This is very important and makes the house seem so much brighter and bigger. In addition the turning all the lights on, opening all the blinds and letting in as much natural light as possible is another way to make the home appear large and open.

4) Clean - Clean up and pick up every time a potential buyer is coming to look at your house. It is extremely difficult, but your home should always be ready to show within a 20 minute notice.

5) Pets ' Get them out. Not all people like animals and in fact some people are scared of them. Even more than being scared some people simply won't like the idea of living in a house that had dogs or cats and may choose a similar house based on this alone. If you are home, take the pet on walk or to the store. If you are at work, put the pet in a cage or at the very least a small room like the laundry room and post a sign on the door.

6) Temperature ' Heating and cooling your home can be expensive, but you need to make sure that your home is at a comfortable temperature when you are showing it. If it is cold outside, the heat needs to be set to 70 ' 72 degrees. If it is hot outside, turn the air conditioner to 68 ' 70 degrees. Make your buyers feel comfortable.

7) Windows/ Fireplace ' If it is a beautiful day outside and you do not need to have the air or heat on, open up your windows to create an airy feeling in the house. People love fresh air, and a house with a nice breeze blowing through it can create a very relaxing feeling. If it is cold outside and you have an electric fireplace, turn it on. This creates a warm inviting feeling and the buyers can imagine themselves enjoying the fireplace on a cold night.

8) Music/ TV ' If you have a stereo system in your house, turn it on to an easy listening station. If you do not have a stereo system, leave the television on to create some ambient background noise. People in general are uncomfortable with silence, so make your potential buyers more comfortable with a little relaxing background noise.

9) Scents/ Candles - Use a plug in air freshener and/or candles to add to the ambience of your home. Make sure the scent you select smells fresh and clean. Vanilla and other fruity aromas are good as well but never choose something that is overly 'flowery' or anything that is too strong. You want a nice subtle scent.

10) Brochures/Flyers ' Always have a brochure or flyer with at least one picture on it for the buyers to take with them. Odds are they are looking at many other houses on the same day and they might forget what yours looks like. When they go home at night and talk about it, your picture will help them recall your house and how nice it looked, felt, and smelled.

If you are ever in doubt as to if your house is 'show ready', stop by a local Builder's Model Center and take a quick stroll through. Notice how every light is on, there is nice music playing in the background, it is clean and orderly, it smells nice and feels comfortable. This is not by accident!

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