What you should know before selling your home in Bluffton, SC

Sellers Guide Main Page Preparing Your Home for Sale Pricing the Home for Sale Hiring a Real Estate Agent Showing your Home Targeting the Market Negotiations with Buyers The Closing

Showing your Home

The cardinal rule for successful showing is to have the home accessible at all times for Buyers to view, even if it is sometimes inconvenient for you. The MLS listing will contain notes to showing agents about how to show. For listings other than "vacant/unoccupied" most agents will try to call for permission, but you may get an occasional knock at the door while you're at home. Your Realtor® may suggest putting up an electronic lockbox that contains a copy of your door key and any entry instructions that other agents will need to get in for showings. Your agent will be able to tell you who has shown your property based on data from the lockbox, and he/she will also ask other agents for "feedback" regarding what their Buyer clients think about your property. This kind of intrusion can seem nerve-wracking, but it's necessary.

The second rule is that the property owners should be absent during showings. This is because Buyers do feel they are intruding in your home, and they are less self-conscious if you aren't there while they are looking around. If you are extremely uncomfortable about having unaccompanied strangers in your home, you can stipulate that your Realtor be present for showings, but this will be an imposition that may thwart a sale. Try to take any house pets away with you during showings, too; at the very least, crate them, confine them to a single room or put them outside and be sure showing agents know about them beforehand!

Before you leave, be sure the home has been dusted, swept or vacuumed, that things are neatly arranged, your valuables and medications are put away, and that all trash has been emptied. Any kinds of unusual odors are unwelcome, so if you need to freshen, use an unscented spray! Turn on the lights and open all the drapes or blinds to make the home look airy and inviting.