5 Things to do when showing your home on short notice

When your home is on the market you never know when the phone is going to ring and with perspective buyers eager to enter your home. Hopefully they give you a few hours but often time they are sitting in your driveway with their agent calling off the real estate sign.

Over the years I have put together a list of items that really matter to buyers, and the things they notice most about a not so open house ready home.

1. Get rid of obnoxious smells: I'm talking gym socks and kitty litter here. If you don't have the time to do the full overhaul. Make sure if nothing else the house doesn't have any linger smells. Clean out the cat box, and use a disinfectant spray on the not so great areas of your home. Note: be careful not to overdo it.

2. Do the dishes: If you have leftover yuck in the sink, buyers may think that you don't care for the home or that you don't keep up with regular maintenance. Plus, dishes can lead to stinky odors. Give the counters, stove and table a quick wipe.

3. Walk the house: Being mindful of thing lingering on the floors. Through trash away, put laundry in the hamper, and kid’s toys and backpacks into the appropriate area. The buyer may not notice that you have not vacuumed in a few days if the home seems for the most part clean. While you are walking around turn on the lights of the rooms that you have checked and picked up. This way you know the room has been addressed.

4. Tidy up the Bathroom: Again if you have limited time the wipe down the mirrors and the counters in the bathroom. Most of all close the toilet lid and shower curtains. This will give an allusion of the bathroom being cleaner than it actually is.

5. Clean the floors: If you find you have a just a few minutes left before the buyers walk in the door, grab a broom or vacuum and touch up the high traffic areas. This will put the icing on the cake and make an award winning first impression.

Now grab the kids and the pets, hop in the car and give the buyer a little time to explore.