Beat The Odds: Five MORE Tips For A Better-Showing House This Fall

When I worked in retail furniture, I absolutely LOVED working on snowy days, or the day after a snow storm.

When everyone else was out buying bread, picking up videos or whatever, people who came into a furniture store were people who were ready to buy furniture, and who wanted to buy furniture. 

Inevitably my close ratio was almost 100%, so I have always been a fan of being ready for buyers out of the normal/expected buying cycle.

We will get to inside stuff in another post, but here’s the follow-up to yesterday’s post …. five more things you can do to show- perhaps beat the odds-even SELL your house this fall.

6.  Wash the windows, clean the screens, vacuum out all the ick that has accumulated between the windows and the screens. When the leaves come down, what better way to show how light-filled, and well-maintained your house is!

 

7. Be aware of odors. Cooler weather has us closing out windows more,eliminating ventilation and trapping odors.

Air out the house in the warmer days to come, but get in the habit of taking stinky garbage out immediately. Also, keep dirty laundry out of bedrooms and bathrooms.  Maybe put it in the empty washer, until you are ready for a full load.

Watch what you cook-grill outside if you can-and good time to give the dog a bath, and wash all the dog things as well.

8. Unless a big storm is in the forecast, I recommend leaving the patio furniture out til it frosts,  especially if you grill, or have a fire pit.

Keep it clean, and looking good. Toss the burned-out citronella candles, the ratty tablecloth, etc. Make it a desirable space, not a body of evidendce to a season sadly long gone.

Outdoor space does not count on listings as usable square footage in a house-so why not SHOW THOSE BUYERS just how much more value your house has from this bonus living space?

9. Put away any seasonal ornaments.  Things like windchimes, figures of bunnies, or gnomes holding daisies. Again, oddly inappropriate after Labor Day.

Instead, think of putting up birdfeeders on the property-by snowfall you will have attracted quite a following, giving something for buyers to delight in when the rest of the area is covered in white.

10. Replace sad and tired linens. SERIOUSLY.  Crushed toss pillows, dingy kitchen towels, limp bed sheets. These things have a limited life span.

Hit BBB with a bunch of coupons, or Kohls on a sale day and invest:  New towels for the kitchen, big puffy bed pillows and a new set of bath towels and crisp, smooth new sheets.  I purchased a king size set of 400 thread count sheets for a client recently; regularly $130.00 at Kohls-on sale and with my extra discount-less than $45.00.

Besides showing better to buyers, you will feel so-o-o-o special, for very little money.  BONUS:  Local pet shelters-Pets Alive in Elmsford, and SPCA in Briarcliff are my favorites-would be oh so grateful to accept your worn, but washed towels and linens.