| Selling your home in a buyer's market. Walk your | | | | Open all blinds and drapes and for the day take off |
| home, clean, paint and de-clutter. | | | | sun protective screens if they can be. The object |
| Pay special attention to the kitchen, including the | | | | here is to let as much indirect sunlight in as possible |
| inside of the refrigerator, (yes, people open up your | | | | to make your home look bright, cheery and inviting.` |
| frig.) and the bathrooms. They say, here in the Valley | | | | Turn on additional lamps and lights while temporarily |
| of the Sun, including Phoenix, Chandler, and | | | | increasing the wattage to 100 watts if your lamps |
| Ahwatukee, that "woman look carefully at the | | | | are rated for the same. If not, put the highest |
| kitchen and bathrooms", "and men look at the garage | | | | wattage rated bulb you can in as many lights as you |
| and the yard." | | | | can. |
| I can not tell you the times I have shown homes | | | | Remove excess clutter, vacuum, and clean, |
| with a garage that looked like a pack rat's nest. | | | | especially, again, the bathrooms and kitchen. Don't |
| Throw it out, have a garage sale, however you do it, | | | | forget to make the beds, all of them, even juniors. |
| get rid of it, and organize, organize, organize. | | | | Lock away all of your valuables. A special note. |
| From the outside in. If there are any oil stains on the | | | | In all the years I have been in the business of buying, |
| drive, remove them and generally hose down or | | | | selling and investing in real estate, I have never had |
| sweep the drive including the garage and outdoor | | | | things stolen during an open house. That said, better |
| patios. | | | | safe than sorry, and do NOT ever tempt as in |
| If it's the season, and here in Phoenix if I'm going to | | | | leaving money around. |
| put your home up on the Phoenix MLS, I want to | | | | If you hired an agent to put you in the Phoenix MLS, |
| see bright fresh flowers in the front yard. They can | | | | and he or she is hosting the open house, make |
| be in movable pots and you can take them with you. | | | | arrangements to be away the days of the open |
| (If you are taking them, make sure this is clearly | | | | house. Allow the agent to do their job, sell your |
| stated in the Phoenix MLS or the purchase offer.) | | | | house. That is what they do. If you are holding the |
| Continue with the outside by picking up any toys or | | | | open house, whether or not you have an agent and |
| other extraneous objects, and putting away (after | | | | are listed on the Phoenix MLS, answer any questions, |
| using) all lawn equipment including mowers, rakes, | | | | point out up to three features you absolutely love |
| shovels, etc. | | | | about the house or neighborhood, great schools is |
| Pets, like dogs or cats. Remove them for the day | | | | especially good, then let the folks wander. They |
| even if they are the nicest creatures in Phoenix, | | | | want to look at your house, not become best |
| Ahwatukee, Chandler or Gilbert. They don't work for | | | | friends. |
| guests at an open house, and distract them from the | | | | Follow this advice in Phoenix, Chandler, Ahwatukee, |
| business at hand, that of buying your house! Make | | | | Gilbert or Mesa or anywhere in the country and you'll |
| sure all snakes, lizards, pet spiders, and fish etc. are | | | | do just fine selling your home in a "down market". |
| well confined. | | | | |