If you are selling your house, you probably want to make the best impression possible to potential buyers during each showing. However, there are a couple of things that should not do while showing your house that could turn them off from buying.

Leaving Personal Pictures And Mementos Up

Having pictures of your family hanging on the walls and your children's artwork from the previous school year on your refrigerator may make your house feel like home to you. However, leaving up such personal items while showing your house to a prospective buyer may have the opposite effect on them.

When they enter your home, seeing pictures and mementos of strangers can make it hard for them to image their own personal items in the house. This can keep them from feeling at home. 

If you cannot bear to take down all of your pictures while you are still living in the house, leave only a few of them up in between showings. Then, when you know your real estate agent is coming by with someone, you can quickly take them down.

Having Your Pets In The House During The Showing

While your pets may be like your children to you, not everyone enjoys being around them. You may even have a potential buyer who is allergic to them, so having them sneezing and coughing may not get them in a buying mood.

If you have dogs or cats living in your house, make other arrangements for them while someone is looking at it. You may want to put them out in the yard or have a friend watch them for a few hours.

Try to clean up as much pet hair as you can to minimize the mess and odor. Also, put away any food bowls, toys, and pet beds. If the pet food has a strong odor, put it in your car during the showing to get it out of the way.

If your potential buyers are not pet lovers, they might have a hard time visualizing themselves in a house with the presence and odors of your animals.

While the above things may be natural and homey to you, you want to make your house feel like home to the person looking to buy it. If you have any further questions or need more advice, you may want to speak to a real estate agent who can give you pointers on the proper way to prepare your home for a showing.

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