the walkways, and deadhead the flowers. You want your home to look like a model in the local “Parade of Homes.” Appeal to the buyer’s sense of smell. An unpleasant odor coming from a trash can or litter box can kill a sale. Make sure your home smells good! Open the windows, place fresh flowers throughout the house, bake some cookies, or light a scented candle. Make the beds. Wipe out the sinks. Pick up the towels. Put the kids and their school backpacks in the car (along with Fido) with family or friends for a nice long drive in the country. Having pets in the home during an open house is at the very least a distraction and could even be a liability. You want buyers to concentrate on the home without worrying about letting a cat out or being bitten by a dog who’s out of sorts and confused by the presence of strangers in his home and his instinct to protect his territory. Remember that the exterior of the house must be clean and welcoming if you want people to come inside. Either hire a professional to power wash your home and walkways or rent a power washer and do the job yourself. Your end goal is to create a pleasant, memorable experience for house hunters that will make potential buyers feel right at home. Better yet, making them feel like it could be their home. In addition to glistening floors and streak-free windows, there’s an important factor that very few sellers consider: the neighbors. Although it’s probably not the first thing a house hunter considers in selecting a new home, eventually, they will be interested in learning something about the neighbors. Neighbors can be both you and your buyer’s best friends. Alternately, they can also turn out to be your biggest nightmare. Taking the surprise element out of the equation helps put buyers at ease, so it’s often a good idea to invite the neighbors to
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