Here’s some advice for you to share with your new listing clients on how to be safe while their houses are on the market:
- Ask the neighbors to keep an eye on the house while it’s listed. A house for sale means unfamiliar faces and more traffic—which also makes the neighbors’ houses more vulnerable, too.
- Sellers should check all doors and windows after every showing. Buyers often open both, so make sure they’re secured again.
- Collect all those “just-in-case” hidden keys from windowsills, under doormats and flower pots, and other spots. A lockbox means Realtors and sellers will now have an extra set easily at hand.
- Don’t give out the lockbox code to friends and family unless it’s an emergency, as Realtors often use the same code for other properties and don’t want the code handed out. (A hint to you, Realtor friend…you might want to rethink that practice and vary your codes.)
- Take down any pictures, signs, certificates, and wall art with the family members’ names. This is critical in children’s rooms! Strangers shouldn’t know children’s names.
I offer home staging tips because I believe strongly in my role as a home staging educator to Realtors. I also love giving free presentations to sales teams to answer any questions you have…and I have plenty of fun before/after photos. I hope you and your sellers find these staging tips useful.
Because November 27th is Small Business Saturday, StagingCraft is supporting our realtor friends with a 25% discount off any staging consultation scheduled up to November 30th. Please mention “Small Business Saturday Discount” with scheduling.