Showing Your Home

First Impressions are Lasting Impressions.

The exterior of your home often determines how buyers will view the interior, so:

  • Make sure your front entrance is clean and inviting.
  • Paint or replace your front door if it’s faded or worn.
  • Add some paint to shutters, trim and any other outside features showing signs of wear.
  • Add vibrant plants and put down some fresh mulch.

Accentuate the Positive

“How we live in a home and how we sell a home are often two different things.” Try to see your home with a fresh perspective and arrange each room to bring out its best attributes, including:

  • Keep windows and floors clean.
  • Replace faded wallpaper and glue any areas that have come away from the wall.
  • Repair worn woodwork.
  • Repaint scarred or dirty walls in a neutral color.
  • Steam clean carpeting or replace it, if necessary.
  • Repair loose knobs, sticking doors and windows, warped cabinet drawers, broken light switches and other minor flaws.
  • Check and repair caulking in bathtubs and showers.

Try to see your home with a fresh perspective and arrange each room to bring out its best attributes, including:

  • Open draperies and curtains to let the light in during the showing.
  • Remove all unnecessary clutter from your attic, basement and closets to better display spacious rooms (consider storage or a garage sale to dispose of extraneous items).
  • Arrange all your rooms neatly and remove excess furniture. Keep fresh, clean towels in the bathroom. Use candles or air fresheners to make the room smell pleasant.

Put Your Home in the best possible light.

Strategically lighting your home, even during daytime showings, can create a cozy mood and highlight positive attributes of each room, so:

  • Avoid the use of overhead lighting that makes rooms look washed out and lifeless.
  • Be creative and arrange lamps to help smaller rooms seem larger, and large rooms seem more intimate.
  • Use lighting to highlight the “living areas” of your home, such as a pair of chairs near a fireplace, or a table in a breakfast area.
Inside:

  • Clear all unnecessary objects from furniture throughout the house. Keep decorative objects on the furniture restricted to groups of 1, 3, or 5 items.
  • Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen countertops. If it hasn’t been used for three months…put it away!
  • Clear refrigerator fronts of messages, pictures, etc. (A sparse kitchen helps buyers mentally move their own things into your kitchen.)
  • In the bathroom, remove any unnecessary items from countertops, tubs, shower stalls and commode tops. Keep only your most needed cosmetics, brushes, perfumes, etc., in one small group on the counter. Coordinate towels to one or two colors only.
  • Rearrange or remove some of the furniture if necessary. As owners, many times we have too much furniture in a room. This is wonderful for our personal enjoyment, but when it comes to selling, we need to thin out as much as possible to make rooms appear larger.
  • Take down or rearrange certain pictures or object on walls. Patch and paint if necessary.
  • Review the house inside room by room. Paint any room needing paint, clean carpets or drapes that need it, clean windows.
  • Leave on certain lights during the day. During “showings” turn on all lights and lamps.
  • Have stereo FM on during the day for all viewings.
  • Lockbox–#1 Importance: “If we don’t have it, they won’t show it.”
Outside:

  • Trim landscaping to reveal architectural detail (bottom of windows, etc.). “If they can’t see it, we can’t sell it.”
  • Go around the perimeter of the house and move all garbage cans, discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, etc., into the garage.
  • Check gutters and/or roof for dry rot. Make sure they are swept and cleaned.
  • Look at all plants…prune bushes and trees. Keep plants from blocking windows. “You can’t sell a house if you can’t see it.” Plants are like children-they grow so fast!!
  • Weed and then bark all planting areas. Keep lawn freshly cut and fertilized. Remove any dead plants or shrubs.
  • Clear patios or decks of all small items, such as small planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbecues, toys, etc. (Put them in the garage).
  • Check paint condition of the house-especially the front door and trim. “Curb appeal really works!”

In General

Try to look at your house "through the buyer's eyes" as though you've never seen it or been there before. Any time or money spent on these items will bring you back more money in return, and hopefully a faster sale.

Nine Minute Showing Drill

Occasionally you will receive a call to schedule a showing to take place within the next few minutes. The following is a checklist for this type of panic:

  • Sound: Turn off the television and tune the radio (low volume) to a soft rock, middle of the road or classic rock station.
  • Sight: Turn on every light in the house (day or night) and open every drape and blind (day time only).
  • Odors: Heat some frozen pastry slowly in the oven or heat a pan on the stove and then drop in a few drops of vanilla.
  • Kitchen: Wipe kitchen counters, place dirty dishes in dishwasher.
  • Bathrooms: Wipe counters, flush and close toilets.
  • Living/Family Rooms: Hide magazines, newspapers, and games; remove clutter.
  • Bedrooms: Straighten beds. Hide clutter under bed (not in closet).
  • Exterior: Put away toys and clutter. Keep walk clear.
  • Children & Pets: They are a distraction, so send them outside.
  • Goodbye: Sorry, but this is the single most important thing you can do in a showing to help sell your home! Even if the showing agent insists that it is okay to stay, you must leave. Buyers must get emotionally committed to your home to buy it and they cannot become emotional about “their new home” if you, the current owners, are “hanging around.” Please, at the very least, go into the backyard. Even better, go to the store.

Performance Team
Real Broker, LLC

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Carnell Webb

I am a Tulsa, Oklahoma native, but I’ve lived in Dallas for well over 20 years.

I have been in the business since 2013 and am a former Verizon Senior Business Sales Executive, educated in Computer Information Systems.

I’m a full-time real estate agent headquartered in the Aubrey, Texas, area of North Texas, providing service in Denton and surrounding counties – specializing in Residential sales. 

Stacey Booth

Stacey was born and raised near South Padre Island, Texas. She has been married to Bobby Booth for 30 years and has two daughters, Allyson and Amanda. Allyson recently married Konner Miller in February and Amanda will be headed to the University of Arkansas, Fall 2022.

She was an Office Manager for Woolam Gin for 10 years and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology. She taught 2nd grade for 7 years before moving to Mena, Arkansas to open Black Bear Cabin Rentals in 2012. The best part of building a business from the ground up like Black Bear Cabins, was seeing it go from a concept to a thriving business. Her favorite part of the job was making connections with all of her customers.

The reason Stacey got into real estate is because she has always loved helping people and what better way to help people than to find the perfect place to call home. After selling Black Bear Cabins in 2020, she considered doing it then, but still had one of her daughters at home. Since her youngest daughter will be starting college in the fall, she knew this was the perfect time to start her new career. She has always loved the one-on-one personal contacts she has made with people, whether it was with her customers, students, or parents.

Her goal is to work hard for her clients whether it is through the purchase a new home or the sale of a current home. Her number one priority is to provide an experience where the customer feels valued and well taken care of.

Kristen Lewis

I was born and raised in Dallas and have lived in Cedar Hill for 15 years. I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 15 years, and we have 3 beautiful children ages 7, 9 & 11.  

 

I have been in the multi-family industry for 16 years where I’ve had several roles. I started as a construction admin, and then moved to an Assistant Business Manager/ Business Manager Onsite. I am currently a Cost Accountant for all new construction in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. 

 

I am excited to switch gears toward my own business in Real Estate, where I will focus in the Cedar Hill, Midlothian, Waxahachie and surrounding areas. 

 

I just started my journey into Real Estate in November 2021, and I am excited to begin!

Shawna Martinez

Real estate is in my DNA! Second generation Realtor born and raised in North Texas. We know that no two clients are the same, so why work with someone who treats you that way? 

We offer concierge next level customer service. Do you need movers? We can help with that! Do you need your yard maintained? We can take care of that too! Maybe you need accommodations for your fur babies… or real babies…. we understand your needs are unique. 

We pride ourselves in building a relationship over a transaction, so whatever your needs are, we can help! Whether you are buying for your primary residence, second home, or investment property our team of experts will provide you with the most phenomenal customer service! Don’t get trapped in the ‘one size fits all’ Ferris Wheel of real estate. It truly matters who you choose to work with!