Wanting to take a vacation but worried about leaving while your house is on the market? Don’t be! Going on vacation when you’re trying to sell your house works out beautifully because you can give your selling agent free rein to schedule showings without you having to worry about finding a place to go for an hour.
Get your home ready to show even while you’re on vacation with these 5 easy tips!
Declutter Before You Leave
Since you’re packing for vacation anyway, now is a great time to declutter your house! Decluttering is one of the most effective things a homeowner can do to sell their home because it helps create a more neutral scene for prospective homeowners. They want to envision themselves living in a home, and that’s hard to do when your family pictures and shot glass collection are focal points.
Grab some boxes and start putting away family photos, refrigerator artwork, and unnecessary bric-a-brac. Also, show your closets at their most spacious by boxing up clothes you won’t be wearing between when you come home and when you (hopefully) move, like winter coats, sweaters, and large blankets.
Arrange Boarding for Your Pets
It’s a good idea to board your pets while you’re on vacation when your house is on the market. While you love your furry friends, your prospective buyer may not be a fan or may even be allergic to your pets. This, plus the risk of smelly accidents means it’s a good idea to either board your pet or see if a friend or loved one can pet-sit. Consider doing this a day or two before you leave so you can vacuum, sweep, and remove evidence of a pet being in the home.
Maintain Your Curb Appeal
Whether you’re on vacation or not, your yard and landscaping need to be ready for buyers. This means you should hire someone, either a landscaping company or even a neighbor or friend, to mow the grass and maintain your yard. Also, arrange to have someone water your plants, indoors and outdoors, to keep them looking vibrant and attractive.
Don’t forget to halt mail and newspaper delivery service. Not only is that for your home’s security but seeing several soggy newspapers in the driveway or an overstuffed mailbox adds a feeling of neglect to your home.
Set Up a Smart Thermostat
No matter what time of year you’re showing your home, you want it to be a comfortable temperature for prospective buyers. A house that’s hot and stuffy in the summer or chilly in the winter won’t appeal to buyers.
Install a smart thermostat that you can control with your smartphone so when you have showings, you can adjust the temperature of your home from your vacation spot. This way, you can save energy costs while you’re away while changing the temperature an hour or two before a showing to give the home time to cool off or warm up. A smart thermostat is also an energy-saving device that can be a bonus to your home!
Empty Anything That Could Cause an Odor
The day before you leave, or even the morning of, take time to empty all your trash cans (don’t forget the bathroom trash!). You don’t want your agent to open the door with prospective buyers and be faced with the smell of trash or see flies! Also, don’t forget to clean out the refrigerator. If a buyer chooses to look inside, you don’t want him or her to be faced with a science experiment! Toss any leftovers or food that will reach an expiration date before you come home, and be sure to wipe it down inside, just in case.
