As a home seller, you want to showcase your home in the best possible way. Some subtle staging advice may assist you in getting under agreement, and to closing, faster.
Since it is now Spring, the weather and sunshine may cooperate by allowing you to open windows to let in the fragrance of fresh air. Do not use a perfumed spray or air freshener as some prospective buyers may have allergies that might be triggered by these smells – resulting in an attack of sneezing or coughing instead of an offer to buy your home.
The fragrance of freshly baked bread or cookies is something most people find pleasing. Be sure not to cook cauliflower or broccoli when your real estate agent is expected with potential buyers! I once visited a home for sale where the owner was boiling pieces of chicken in water. The smell was so awful that I hardly looked at the house and could not wait to get outside…..
Many Realtors have taken courses in Home Staging and are experienced in helping sellers emphasize the strengths in their property and minimize the weaknesses.
Let Your Agent Make the Sale
If at all possible, be somewhere else when your Realtor shows your home. Buyers are sometimes reluctant to look as carefully and thoroughly when the owners are home as when they are away.
If you must be at home, smile and be pleasant – but be unobtrusive. Unless the buyer specifically speaks to you, let your Realtor respond to questions. Case in point is a situation where a buyer visits a home in a very nice community with their agent. The owner was home and in the bathroom. When he came out, he sat in a chair reading the newspaper and with his body language, conveyed a message that he was in a bad mood. The buyer spent a few minutes looking around but left as fast as possible – don’t impede the sale of your home by not leveraging some common sense and courtesy.
Keith Munsell 
