Sell your home faster: 12 Show Day Tips

Show Days are one of the most effective tools for selling your home. Here are a few ways to give your home extra stand-out appeal and attract serious offers from potential buyers.

• Take a critical look at what people see when they drive up to your house. Your home should look cared for: lawns should be mowed and weed free, flowers beds should be neat – weeded and free of dead blooms, driveways and carports should be swept clean and any potholes fixed.
• Outdoor furniture should be clean and tidy. Metal furniture and accessories should be rust free, wooden furniture oiled, and the pool and patio areas tidy. The pool should look pristine and sparkling.
• Windows should be clean and streak free, curtains clean, properly hung and open to allow welcome natural light in. (The only exception is if you need to screen out unappealing views.)
• Where natural light can’t reach, turn on lights so there aren’t any dark corners or hallways.
• Your kitchen and bathroom should be gleaming and smelling fresh. No dirty dishes allowed. Some people even bake cookies to fill the kitchen with welcoming aromas. (A few drops of vanilla essence on an oven-proof dish in a warm oven will do the trick!)
• Keep pets under control (and preferably out of the house). You might need to have carpets and/or upholstery cleaned to remove pet odours. Make sure dogs or cats haven’t left any ‘surprises’ in the garden.
• Put plants and vases of flowers in strategic spots in any room to create a warm ambience and make the space feel bigger.
• In winter, a crackling fire in a fireplace will help potential buyers feel at home.
• All beds should be made. Children’s bedrooms should have toys put away neatly so the space looks bigger (and to prevent visitors tripping over them!).
• Open patio umbrellas (ensure that they’re clean.)
• Garages should be swept. Bicycles and sports equipment should be stored neatly. Remember, you want to make the space feel bigger.
• Turn on water features.