Showing your home is part of the buying process.  Have you ever heard the saying that it is very important to make a good first impression?  This for sure applies to real estate.  Here are a few key points on showing your home that are vital for maximum exposure, selling for top dollar and leaving a good impression on the buying to set your home apart from the others they are looking at:

1.  LEAVE THE HOME FOR THE SHOWING!!!  It never helps to have you walk around with the buyer, it can make them feel pressured, awkward, rushed and leave a negative impression.  Have you ever working on a project and you have someone watching every little thing you do?  This is how they feel.  JUST DON'T BE HOME!!!

2.  LEAVE THE HOME SMELLING GOOD!!!  We don't mean have an air freshener in every outlet but maybe an hour before showing, open the windows to let some fresh clean air in, use some Fabreze, bake some cookies.  Remember that some people are sensitive to smells and too much can be a turn off or give them the feeling that you are covering something up.

3.  TURN ON ALL THE LIGHTS!!!  I am all for conserving energy, but when it comes to selling your home, get the brightest lights that you can, make sure that all your lights are working and that you have them on to give the rooms lots of light.  Light opens rooms up, if they are dark and not well lit it gives the impression the room is smaller than it is.  

4.  DE-PERSONALIZE!!!  Remembering that you are trying to sell your home to someone else, not you.  You should remove all personal pictures so that the buyer isn't distracted looking at your family reunion photo at Yellowstone in 2002.  Replace personal pictures with some tasteful art that could appeal to everyone.  Hobby Lobby, Target, Pier 1 Imports are all good places to get something like that.

5.  DE-CLUTTER!!!  If you have to, rent a storage unit. When selling, less is more....what??  I know, I know, I am not talking about less money, but stuff!!!  The more stuff you move out, the more value the buyer can see with the space.  Also that shrine of your family on the wall, that needs to go.  Please refer to #4  De-Personalize.

6.  ALLOW YOUR HOME TO BE SHOWN!!!  We all have busy lives, and unfortunately we don't live in the days where people worked 9-5 everyday.  Nowadays, people work mornings, evenings, nights and everything in between.  If you don't allow your home to be shown because the baby just went down for a nap, that is one less buyer that may have wanted to put an offer on your home.  Try to be accommodating.