How to Handle Last-Minute Showings

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Last-minute showings…this may be the most annoying part of selling your house — it has to look perfect at a moment’s notice, even though you have two dogs, three kids, and a full-time job. But you want or need to move, so you're in "keep it clean" mode, which seems impossible. You never know when your agent may call with a serious buyer who’s hoping to see your house, right now. If you want to sell your home as fast as possible, turning down showings is tempting, but not a good idea.

Here’s our advice: Keep up with the cleaning as best you can, but even if you haven’t vacuumed in a week or there are some extra kids’ toys, clothes and projects that you just don’t have time to pick up, don’t skip the showing. Let us know that you won’t have time to clean up, and we can relay the message, setting up the expectations of the potential buyer.

We know you're going to be doing emergency flight-of-the-bumblebee cleanup. Here's the quick list of things you can do:

Whole house:

  • Collect any loose toys or random items and put them in the toy chest.

  • Sweep up conspicuous dirt from the floors.

  • Fluff the throw pillows.

  • Wipe down any surfaces that need it.

Bathrooms:

  • Put all the toilet seats down.

  • Remove personal items/toiletries from the bathroom.

  • Empty the trash.

Kitchen:

  • Put everything from the kitchen sink and countertops in the dishwasher.

  • Empty the recycling and garbage.

Bedrooms:

  • Make the beds.

  • Throw any clothes on the floor/beds in the hamper.

  • Close all closet doors.

Selling your home is a pain, but we're all in it together. We'll do what we can to schedule showings at convenient times when you have more than two minutes to prepare. Keep in mind that the buyer may be distracted by clutter, but they are buying the house, not your stuff.

Do your best and we'll do ours and we'll be closing in no time, for sure.

Cecilie Korst+