photo courtesy of svilen001 www.sxc.hu/photo/1150486

When you are about to leave your home before a real estate showing, there are little details that should be addressed.  If you leave the little details undone, you will probably get a lower asking price on your home or maybe even lose a sale.

Make all of your beds
An unmade bed implies that you don't care, are lazy, and messy.  Making a bed does not take that long, so just do it before you leave the house for a real estate showing.

Pick up your stuff

Pick up your home, especially things on the floor. This includes laundry, toys, and anything else that can be tripped on.

Clean your dishes
There should be no dishes in the sink, on the table, or on your counter tops. Dishes in the sink makes your home feel dirty, even if the dishes are clean.

Turn on the lights
Open your window treatments and turn on all the lights before a real estate showing. Make your home bright with lots of light.  Keep your window coverings closed or barely open if you have a view of junk in your yard, trash cans, or anything else that is not pleasant to look at.

Secure your pets
Make sure your pets are in a kennel or crate so they do not disturb the real estate showing visitors.  Do not close them in a room and ask the visitors to not let them out because it denies access to that room and there is a chance they might escape if that door gets opened accidentally.  If they are prone to barking or growling, cover their cage, bring them somewhere else, or bring them with you when you leave your home.

Good smell

Your home should have a pleasing smell. Consider lighting a scented candle and blowing it out before leaving,  using some air freshener in areas that might not smell very fresh, or baking cookies.

If you have time

If you were given more than 30 minutes notice, go ahead and dust, vacuum, and mop your home. There is not always time for this, but it shows pride in your home.  Real estate showing visitors will probably feel that if you care for your home, you probably maintained it well.

Outside

As you are walking out the door before the real estate showing, look to see if you can pick a few weeds out of your flowerbeds.  Make sure your garbage cans, kids toys, newspaper, and any other items are put away.