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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2018 8:21:43 GMT -6
I wouldn’t go crazy if it’s early, but would mention the things you plan to work on.
I would suggest depersonalization as much as possible. Some people have a hard time picturing places “as their own.”
Showing is such a PITA but I’m excited for your new endeavors!
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mb3
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Post by mb3 on Feb 5, 2018 8:22:40 GMT -6
Are you planning to paint before listing? That would affect my opinion on the nail holes but I don’t think I’d stress either way as long as you’ll be fixing them before listing. For photos I wouldn’t rush to change them, just be upfront that you know you’ll be changing them out. I assume you like the photos in there. I would start looking for replacement photos though as this took me longer than I expected to get photos that worked well together.
Added: I would de clutter as much as possible though.
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Post by charlotte on Feb 5, 2018 8:25:37 GMT -6
If it is not going to cause you crazy stress or burden to just get most of that stuff done now I would likely go ahead and do it.
If there are things that will not “keep” (like, will the rug be getting very dirty again?) then I would wait on those particular things.
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gussie
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Post by gussie on Feb 5, 2018 8:26:10 GMT -6
I would do the easy stuff like taking down pictures, organize a tad. I actually replaced our family pictures with generic wall art I had or got for cheap so I didn't have to go over the nail holes.
I will say that when we were young, a neighbor found out my mom was putting our house for sale and brought her friend over unexpectedly one evening while my mom was cooking dinner. She had nothing cleaned or done the way she wanted, and the lady bought the house. So sometimes if it's a good fit, it's a good fit and they will see past the little things.
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mb3
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Post by mb3 on Feb 5, 2018 8:26:14 GMT -6
Wait. Is this showing for potential buyers? Maybe I can’t read.
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Post by wildflower on Feb 5, 2018 8:32:10 GMT -6
Wait. Is this showing for potential buyers? Maybe I can’t read. Yes. There are a few friends/friends of friends who have asked to come take a look before we list. I've never sold a house, but I have purchased. I wouldn't care about the small details at a house I was getting the early scoop on.
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leahcar
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Post by leahcar on Feb 5, 2018 8:48:02 GMT -6
I would not clean the carpets because you'll probably have to do it again before officially listing. Things like swapping out pictures- I would consider doing now.
We did the same thing with a neighbor's house as a preview and it looked like it always did. I thought not a thing about their pictures still being on the wall and the closets being normally filled. I actually kind of appreciate seeing it that way- it gives me a feel for what reality would look like there. I know that's not necessarily the best approach for a full-blown sales effort though.
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Post by thechickencoop on Feb 5, 2018 9:02:57 GMT -6
I wouldn't go OTT but I would definitely do a thorough cleaning and put away anything that's easy to get rid of. Be honest with the people looking, obviously they know it's not listed yet so I would also imagine that they wouldn't expect everything to be 'showing ready.
Good luck!!!!
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Minerva
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Post by Minerva on Feb 5, 2018 9:33:46 GMT -6
Yes. There are a few friends/friends of friends who have asked to come take a look before we list. I've never sold a house, but I have purchased. I wouldn't care about the small details at a house I was getting the early scoop on. This. Is your market hot? Around here you wouldn’t necessarily have to do anything beyond a thorough clean - the potential buyers are looking to get the jump on their competition to avoid bidding wars.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2018 9:35:50 GMT -6
We had one of DH's coworkers come by yesterday to get a preview. It was weird. I'm still weirded out by it.
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sterling
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Post by sterling on Feb 5, 2018 9:38:25 GMT -6
I would de-clutter surfaces and remove personal photos, but I wouldn’t worry about patching holes. I would maybe rent one of those things to deep clean the carpet, that can make a big impression.
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kitchen
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Post by kitchen on Feb 5, 2018 9:46:02 GMT -6
We did nothing before casual showings. Which means because of momentum the buyers got our Nest. I was sad.
In the end not a deal breaker (obviously), but I should have taken it down before we showed the house at all.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2018 10:05:57 GMT -6
See, I would want the carpets cleaned because as a potential buyer, I'd worry if they were stains that wouldn't come up.
I wouldn't care about family photos because I understand you still live there.
Putting away clutter would be the biggest thing. I don't want to worry that there isn't adequate storage.
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Post by hiafromwassie on Feb 5, 2018 10:24:57 GMT -6
What does your agent say? We haven't listed ours yet as we are painting, cleaning-up, de-cluttering, etc, but honestly our little area is so on fire right now I've seen pics on line of people's homes in pretty poor condition (and messy like beds and baths, ugh) and they are still going under contract within days.
If I were you I'd declutter, remove family photos and call it good as I get the sense you keep your home in an above average general condition.
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Post by hiafromwassie on Feb 5, 2018 10:52:51 GMT -6
I would not; we have asked (more than once dangit people are you really willing to show us your home?) to see a neighbor's home near one of my sil's as they have been telling us for months they were listing in February. So far no listing nor a showing, but I would not expect it to be in open house level.
I am still surprised at some of the pics up on realtor.com, etc actual photos of just? sort of messy rooms in homes for homes that are presently listed on MLS
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2018 10:55:29 GMT -6
I think if I just had some friends/acquaintances stopping by I’d probably deep clean and diy carpet clean (like with your own steam cleaner or a rental ) just so there are no stains/smells
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Post by greykitty on Feb 5, 2018 10:56:00 GMT -6
I wouldn't go crazy for a pocket listing (or even if it's just friends who heard word of mouth). Doesn't hurt to depersonalize and clean as much as you can, but if someone wants to see right now, I wouldn't put them off to deeper clean. Depending on area, a lot of homes never even hit MILS and are sold word of mouth.
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Post by Uncaripswife on Feb 5, 2018 11:01:35 GMT -6
I know what to do for formal listing, trust me. And I started removing some knickknacks and cleaning up. I mean, understand there is a base level of order and clean here. I make beds every day, I'm an overall tidy individual. And I do a deep clean if I think the mailman is coming in. This is more the extra steps you take when showing, and wondering if you would expect that level if you were taking a look before a house was listed. At this stage when you aren't even close to officially listing yet I would clean and declutter and that's it.
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emma
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Post by emma on Feb 5, 2018 11:19:32 GMT -6
i wouldn't do any more than the basics. We had people insist on coming in early before the official listing while we were in the process of replacing the stairs and hallway carpet, which we told them about, and they actually came back and said the house was kind for messy and it was hard to get up the stairs. This has tainted my feelings on early showings
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aprilz81
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Post by aprilz81 on Feb 5, 2018 11:38:17 GMT -6
I would do the basics (clean, declutter and depersonalize where possible) and be sure to list out anything that will not be sold with the house.
With the exception of possibly the bathroom I would not list out what projects you plan on doing (carpet cleaning, repairing nail holes, etc.) just in case you run out of time and don't get to it. You don't want to get locked into anything this early...
Also, unless you have a crap ton of nail holes I wouldn't worry too much about repairing them before listing. They are buying a house that has been lived in and some basic wear and tear is to be expected. I look at a lot of stuff when I am looking at a house to buy and I don't know that I've ever noticed a few nail holes.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2018 12:11:32 GMT -6
I know what to do for formal listing, trust me. And I started removing some knickknacks and cleaning up. I mean, understand there is a base level of order and clean here. I make beds every day, I'm an overall tidy individual. And I do a deep clean if I think the mailman is coming in. This is more the extra steps you take when showing, and wondering if you would expect that level if you were taking a look before a house was listed. I mean.. these people are friends/family/loose acquaintances, right? They realize you're not ready to move yet and that you're... you know, living there. A tidy house should be more than fine. Honestly, the most I would probably do is find a temporary place for STD (outside? Dog run? Inlaws? Neighbors?) and try to make the house seem as pet free as possible. To clarify, by pet free, I mostly mean pet smell/pet hair free. And that's just a personal bug a boo.
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Post by shambam08 on Feb 5, 2018 14:01:58 GMT -6
If I was looking at a before it was on the market I wouldn’t expect any more than cleanliness. If there are any stains on the carpets I’d try to get them out but that’s about it.
We looked at 30+ houses and nearly all of them still had family photos on the wall. Maybe it’s regional, but I don’t see that as a deterrent to buyers.
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macic
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Post by macic on Feb 5, 2018 14:08:50 GMT -6
We bought our house prior to formal listing. The sellers made it clear it was not “show ready” yet. That being said, they decluttered, took down pictures sitting on tables/shelves (but not those nailed into the wall), and organized closets and the pantry.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2018 14:32:58 GMT -6
If I was looking at a before it was on the market I wouldn’t expect any more than cleanliness. If there are any stains on the carpets I’d try to get them out but that’s about it. We looked at 30+ houses and nearly all of them still had family photos on the wall. Maybe it’s regional, but I don’t see that as a deterrent to buyers. We’re leaving family photos up. Not all of them, but the more artsy ones vs the ones chronicling everyday family life.
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Post by leatherpants on Feb 5, 2018 14:34:39 GMT -6
We did nothing before casual showings. Which means because of momentum the buyers got our Nest. I was sad. In the end not a deal breaker (obviously), but I should have taken it down before we showed the house at all. I will make clear what is excluded, including my curtains. They can't have them. This is very smart. I am still in mourning over my lost curtains.
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Post by thechickencoop on Feb 5, 2018 14:36:28 GMT -6
We bought our house prior to formal listing. The sellers made it clear it was not “show ready” yet. That being said, they decluttered, took down pictures sitting on tables/shelves (but not those nailed into the wall), and organized closets and the pantry. That’s what I’m going to do this week I think. And take a magic eraser to the playroom walls. I got some bins to put stuff away. Solid plan. Go get em.
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macic
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Post by macic on Feb 5, 2018 14:59:46 GMT -6
We just told people we are moving on Sunday and we have two pre showings this week. Fingers crossed, you guys. It would make life easier. Good luck. When we bought ours house prior to them listing, we looked that the house in March, entered into contract, but didn’t close until mid-June. It worked out great for everyone and gave us lots of time to sell our existing house. (It was a no contingency contract, but we had 3 months to sell in a hit market, so we weren’t too worried).
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sterling
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Post by sterling on Feb 5, 2018 15:41:55 GMT -6
This is very smart. I am still in mourning over my lost curtains. I spent way too much time finding these. Unless you want to pay top dollar, they’re coming with me. Mine are staying, buuuuuuuut above asking price. They can have them. I am now finding new blackout curtains for the boys, lol.
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sterling
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Post by sterling on Feb 5, 2018 15:52:54 GMT -6
Mine are staying, buuuuuuuut above asking price. They can have them. I am now finding new blackout curtains for the boys, lol. Target pillowfort. They're great. They match and/or compliment their bedding sets, which is why I'm protective of them. Ooo, good call. I was planning on PBK because that’s what we have now.
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Post by AnnPerkins on Feb 5, 2018 16:33:16 GMT -6
Mine are staying, buuuuuuuut above asking price. They can have them. I am now finding new blackout curtains for the boys, lol. Target pillowfort. They're great. They match and/or compliment their bedding sets, which is why I'm protective of them. The pillowfort blackout curtains are amazing. My SIL bought some for her own room after sleeping in the nursery over Thanksgiving.
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