Home Selling Advice - Setting the Mood

Setting the Mood

There are a number of last minutes things you can do to set the mood for the prospective home buyers viewing.

Lighting

Before the buyer turns up turn on all the lights in the home, even if it is in the middle of the day. Lights during the day reduce shadows caused by sunlight and lightens areas which may otherwise be dim. During the night it sets a nice homely feel.

Fragrances

There are lots of things you can do to make your home smell nice without resorting to scented spays. These sprays can be overpowering and obvious, making buyers think you are trying to hide something. Try potpourri or a drop of vanilla extract on the stove burner (this makes it smell like you have been baking). One thing to avoid is cooking strong smelling foods, like curries or other garlic flavored recipes. While they may taste great the smell can linger for several hours, and maybe enough to put off buyers.

Pet Control

If a have a cat or dog, make sure they are mentioned on the MLS. This way the buyers agent will be aware of this and come prepared. The last thing you want is for your pet to escape and run away or even worse bite the buyer. The best solution is remove your pet from your home for showings, if this cannot be done then put your pet in a specific room or in the back yard and make sure the buyers agent is aware of this.

Trash

Make sure all Trash cans are emptied, especially the one in the kitchen. In addition to looking bad it can also smell.

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