Staging Your Home For Showing
Aim for a cheerful and bright mood.
- If it's a sunny day, open drapes and curtains to let the sunshine in - but make sure that those windows are scrupulously clean.
- If the day is gloomy, turn on the lights in every room before the buyers show up.
Use fresh flowers both inside and out.
- Inside, put an arrangement of cheerful flowers on a small table in the entry hall, a bowl of flowers or fruit in the middle of a dining room table or a vase of flowers on a dresser in a bedroom.
Make sure that the temperature of your house is comfortable.
- If it's hot, turn on the air conditioning an hour or so before you expect buyers so that there's time to bring it to a comfortable temperature.
- If it's cold, set the heat at a comfortable 68 - 70 degrees.
Make sure that your house smells fresh, clean and appealing. CLEAN is the main goal.
- If the outdoor temperature permits, open windows slightly for fresh air.
- Wash curtains and fabric fittings in a fresh-scent laundry detergent and hang them.
- For a quick air freshener that doesn't leave behind a 'chemical' scent:
- toss a clean sheet in the dryer with a fresh-scent fabric softener sheet about twenty minutes before a showing, or
- sprinkle some cinnamon and fresh orange peels in a pot of water and simmer it on the stove. Just be sure to remove it BEFORE your potential buyers get there.