Why Does Home Seller’s Etiquette Matter?
If you’re putting your home on the market, chances are you’ve had a pre-listing inspection, cleaned every inch of it, improved your curb appeal, and staged your home to appeal to buyers. Just remember that potential buyers are going to be looking at your behavior along with how nice your home looks, so you don’t want to do anything that may give them a bad feeling about their experience during a showing. For this reason, we’ve written up this home seller’s etiquette guide for you to improve the chances that your sale goes through swiftly and easily!
1. Don’t Stick Around During Showings
Sure, you want to hear what potential buyers have to say about your home, but keep in mind that you want them to think of it as their home, and that means that they have to feel comfortable in it. You should leave the house and allow your real estate agent to do their job properly. Showing good home seller’s etiquette by getting out of their way will be appreciated by both the potential buyer and the agent.
2. Bring Your Pets Along with You
When you leave your house, take your pets along for the ride. Not only may buyers be allergic to or frightened of certain animals, you don’t want to annoy them with a jumping dog or a hissing cat. This is soon to be the buyer’s home, not yours, and no matter how much you love your furry friends, they are going to get in the way during a showing.
3. Leave Ample Space for Parking
Like closet space, parking is at a premium. Welcome buyers with an open driveway and convenient parking spots. Move your cars out of the way to make room for theirs; there’s little that’s more frustrating than fighting for a place to park. You also don’t want buyers to show up at your door irritated because they’ve already had to take an unexpected hike or they think there’s lack of parking for future guests.
4. Make Important Documents Available
Buyers will likely have questions during the showing. Seeing as that you’re not going to be at home to answer them, be sure that the answers can be easily found. Leave any documents you think they’ll need, like your home inspection report, home warranty, receipts for repairs, the appraisal, and bill information, with your Realtor, or simply lay them out in an easy-to-find spot. This home seller’s etiquette tip will save you time and trouble in the long run.
5. Put Out Snacks
Potential buyers may have toured several homes before yours, so make your home an inviting oasis. Leave out a bowl full of ice and bottles of water, as well as some cookies, mints, granola bars, or nuts that they can munch on as they go. Helping them to avoid low blood sugar will keep them in a better mood and subconsciously see the house in a better light.
6. Try to Stay Patient
A big part of home seller’s etiquette is staying calm. There may be a number of showings before you sell your home. This can be frustrating, but you need to treat every potential buyer with the same level of patience and grace. While you’re readily awaiting news about how the showings went, buyers may need time to process what they’ve seen before they’re ready to make an offer. Keep your wits about you and stave off any unnecessary worries. Before you know it, your home will be sold!
Appalachian Inspection Services offers pre-listing inspections for home sellers as well as an array of other inspection services to Western North Carolina. Contact us to set up your appointment.