Even though it is occasionally be inconvenient for you to show your home, your home should always be available for show. Let the listing agent put a lock box in convenient place to make it easy for other agents to show the home to home buyers. Otherwise, the agents will have to schedule the appointments at an inconvenience. Most will just skip the house to show the home of more cooperative people.
- Try not to be at home: Home buyers will like intruders in case if you are at home when they visit. They probably not be as receptive toward viewing the home. Take the kids to the local park, visit the local yogurt shop, or local coffee house. Try to remain in an area near the home, if you absolutely cannot leave, as well don’t move from room to room. Answer any questions the agent may ask, but do not volunteer to give any information.
- Turn on the lights: Turn on all the outdoor and indoor lights even during the day time, when you are informed or know someone is coming by to tour the home. When viewed from the street, at night, a lit house gives a homey impression. Turning on the lights during daytime will prevent harsh shadows form the sunlight and it brightens dim areas. The house looks more cheerful and homey with the lights on.
- Fragrances: To prepare for visitors, do not use scented sprays. It is too obvious and most people find smells of those sprays as offensive, and not to mention that some of them may be allergic to such sprays. If you want to have pleasant fragrance in the house, have something natural like potpourri pot. Or turn the oven or a stove burner on for a moment and put a vanilla extract drop on it. It gives the smells like you have been cooking.
- Pet control: If you have pets, make sure that your listing in the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). The last thing you want is to have the pet running out the front door and preventing them from getting lost. It would be best to try to take pets along with you if you know any home buyers tour your home. If it is not possible for you, keep dogs in a penned area in back yard. If you have indoor cats keep them in a specific room while the buyers are about to visit, and put a sign on the door.
Before showing your house or property, most agents will call and give you notice at least a couple of hours before. If you refuse to let them show your house, they will just skip your house at that time. Even though the agents come back another time, it may be with different buyers and you probably have just lost a chance to sell your house.