FSBO: Showing Your Home

What goes into showing our home?

I think many of these points are things that are true if you are listed with an agent or for sale by owner (FSBO). Prior to marketing our home, I cleaned, removed many things and organized any and all closets, drawers and pantries. I removed unwanted items and got rid of them and removed unnecessary items (like extra sheets, blankets, pot and pans - things we could get by without temporarily) and packed them away in the storage room in the basement (now I am wondering how much of that stuff we really need since they have been down there since February!). I put away any pictures that were on tables or shelves used as display, but kept the hanging pictures hung. Real estate agents ask that you remove those pictures as well. However, we have walls and walls of pictures in our home (we have a section of each of our kids as a baby on the walls leading upstairs, in the hallway upstairs and then going down the basement steps). In order to remove all our hanging pictures, we would have to fill the holes and paint the walls over. First of all, we are not even sure we have enough paint. Second of all, we are not even sure our home will sell. So, we kept those pictures hanging. Additionally, prior to even marketing our home, I cleaned like a crazy person from floor to ceiling until our home shined.

Now, I am typically ready for someone to call and give me 2 hours notice to show our home. When we wake up in the morning, I make all the beds, get my many loads of laundry ready for the day (I do not want loads of stinky laundry in the closets. I try to have the laundry baskets near empty if not completely empty during showings), and clean up the 2 bathrooms that are upstairs. So, the upstairs is all ready to go even before breakfast. I have this process down to an art, so it does not take me long to do.

So, someone calls and wants to see our home. I vacuum at least the main level (I vacuum the upstairs and basement 1-2 times a week. So, it just depends on when I have last vacuumed if I do those levels are not. My vacuum is so massively heavy, I need to conserve my energy to finish in under 2 hours and not vacuum unless I have to. This is why it is best to just keep it perfect all the time!). The upstairs is generally ready - I just walk through, turning on all the lights and opening the shutters. I put away the towels we use and lay our the nice, clean, new towels for showings. Upstairs is ready. Main level: Vacuum, clean floor as time allows, clean out sink, put away any laundry I am working on. I clean up the main level bath, nice towels. Put away Asher's booster seat (into the garage), and take out the step stools in the bathrooms. Turn on all lights, open all shutters. Generally, I clean up as we go, so it is generally ready too. Basement: Clean liter box (YUCK! It is hidden in the utility room, but it still needs to be cleaned out), turn on lights, open blinds, touch up bathroom. Check, ready to go. Garage: Pull our cars to make it look bigger (we don't always do this. The van is always out of there though), sweep and spiff up a little. Final touches: Turn on laptop to website and have picture show going in kitchen, turn on music player in kitchen to Kenny G or Enya, bake cookies, brownies if time allows (for the good swell!) or lately I have just been lighting a lilac candle. Chris lays out his paperwork on the kitchen counter: The disclosure statement, paperwork on insurance/potential financing options/possible mortgage payment, neighborhood covenant info and other neighborhood information. Chris also developed a packet for people if they want to make an offer. It explains to them how to do it, forms to make an offer, the process, etc. He went to a lot of work on these packets. Unfortunately, I think people come for these packets to sell their own homes and know how to do it!

Final touches: I have made a few little signs in areas for open houses. Sometimes more than one person/couple comes at a time. The little signs just answer frequently asked questions such as: "All kitchen appliances included," "Fully fenced in backyard (Sorry, playset not included)," "Finished storage space under the stairs," etc. Little things that we would point out if we walked through with them.

The actual walk through: Chris and I have walked through FSBO homes and found it uncomfortable when they walked with us. We felt like we could not actually open cupboards and look at stuff. So, Chris or I stay just try to stay out of the way unless the potential buyers have questions. Expect the unexpected when it comes to questions. Questions that we have gotten, we have been more than prepared to answer: What are the OPPD and MUD monthly bills like? (Everyone must be on a payment plan. We are not, so I have give the worst and best case bills), "What tax levy are you in?" When was your home last assessed for taxes?" Our home was just assessed for taxes, but it still does not include the actual value of the home. Therefore, the taxes will go up a little upon sale of the house.

The biggest things people look at: Kitchen, master bath, finished basements that are light (open feeling with big windows), FLAT BACK YARD! I think a flat back yard is key. So many people say that they want that and our home is the first one they have seen with a large, flat backyard. Staged: Our home is generally staged. Okay, the basement could be a little more staged, but we live here! We have had many compliments that is the best decorated home. For having 3 small kids, we thought that was a nice compliment!

FSBO PROS: We are in control. If we can not show today because Asher needs a nap, I can say no, how about 6pm instead (that has never been an issue though). We are prompt to open houses and showings (I watched the neighbors real estate agent show up 1/2 hour past the start time of their open house and 2 people left). We can do open houses as often or as little as we want. A real estate agent typically will do an open house when the home is first to market or at price changes. We can pull the sign at any time, no questions asked. And, most importantly, we do not have to pay 6% commission on the sale of our home. We are not willing to work with real estate agents at all and tell them up front. A few have brought clients through anyway.

FSBO CONS: We miss out on 80% of the buyers in the market by not being listed or working with real estate agents. Okay, in this market, that stinks! And, that majorly hurts us. We basically can only get people that saw our ad (Which was $200+ dollars and nobody that walked through claimed to have seen the ad) or drive by. We try to bank off other open houses in the neighborhood. I watch the neighborhood market closely, and if they were having an open house - we would to. With that said, FSBO is exhausting. You are doing everything by yourself. And, the selling is supposed to be the easier part (the moving is the more difficult part!). Additionally, people who walk through our home are many times not qualified, selling their home first, or just looking. They see FSBO, potentially, as not being all that serious or being in a distressed state that we have to sell. People generally ask why we are selling and we respond that we are trying to move closer to Chris' work, which is the plan. If we had an agent, our home may or may not have sold by now. They almost always sell faster than FSBO because they reach more people quicker. Real estate agents do all the legwork, so we would not have to. We would just have to leave during showings (which be nice to do together!).

All in all, if you want to go FSBO, be prepared with patience and lots of never ending energy. Also, be prepared to eat a lot more take out and fast food. Many showings come at or around the dinner hour. I am good at picnics in the car or at the park. However, when I have just a small amount of time to clean the house, the picnic lunch seems to lose. Also, you do not want your home to smell like dinner when the potential buyers arrive.

I remember when I got married, I lost touch with a few single friends. When we had a baby, I really got to see who cared by who called to help and who did not. Well, selling your home is no different, come to find out.  Be prepared to go at it alone, unless you are not seen as the self sufficient type.

I look forward to the day we pull the sign, hopefully because it sold. Either way, I am looking forward to seeing a toy on the floor and leaving it there for a moment. Okay, I would put it away anyway, but you know what I mean. Now, I gotta run. I have laundry to fold and put away! 

 

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