We showed our house a total of 16 times. So eventually we got to be old pros at it.
At first we had no idea what we were doing. I mean of course we:
- cleaned the house like mad (vacuumed, dusted, etc)
- picked up all dog and baby toys
- turned on all the lights so everything looked bright and welcoming
- baked something yummy beforehand (so it would smell as good as it looked)
- removed the cutting board and the dishtowel from the counter in the kitchen so there was more granite on display
- removed the bath mat in the full bathroom (to show off more of the stone floor tile)
- polished all the faucets and fixtures to make them shine (water marks are easy enough to wipe down)
- tidied our bedroom’s built-in closets (since we were offering the wardrobes and the bed frame with the sale of the house, we wanted them to be neat when people poked around)
- emptied the garbage and recycling
- made sure all the toilet lids were down
- blew the driveway, front porch, and patio (so acorns and errant leaves didn’t sabotage our curb appeal)
- unlocked the separate entry basement door (so people could slip in and out more easily)
All those things were fine and dandy, but we didn’t actually get a handle on showing our house in the most professional way the first few times we tried it. Which was a shame because it was especially important since we were attempting to sell our house by owner. Seriously, we were nuts. Allow me to paint you a picture: the doorbell would ring and Burger would bark for five minutes while I held the baby and sang to her while letting people in and trying to quiet Burger. Then John would offer to give people the tour as dog and baby chaos ensued in the background. No wonder the first two showings were a bust.
But by attempt number three we got a bit more savvy. We learned that one single solitary person doing each showing (with zero dogs/babies in the background) was the way to go – heck, maybe we could even convince someone we were realtors in a past life. So I outsourced the showings to John since he’s the more detail and date oriented person (he actually remembers the month that we got new windows and when we last serviced our HVAC) while Burger, Clara, and I ducked out of the house for a nice long walk around the neighborhood before the doorbell rang. Can I just say that I’ve lost nearly five pounds thanks to all that walking? Well, that and maybe some house-for-sale stress. Sixteen showings might not sound like a lot, but it sure felt like it to us! Especially when we hit our all-time high of four showings in one day two Sundays ago. Yeah, that’s a lot of walking.
But where do pooch, bean, and I go if it’s raining out? Here’s where we got creative. John masterminded the idea of parking our car a few houses down. That way Clara, Burger, and I could hang out in the warm dry Altima while John worked his house-showing magic (and even rock out to the radio and approve comments via iPhone while we were at it). It sounds kind of depressing but it was actually pretty hilarious. In fact I snapped these pictures to document the good time that was had by all. First, my kiddos enjoyed sharing my lap:
And Clara had some fun with a granola bar that I found in the middle console (the wrapper kind of made a crunching sound like a rattle)…
I also learned that keys can fill in for toys in a pinch (you know I love working with what I have).
Plus Clara earned her varsity letter in napping. Just look at her go in the driver’s seat.
So in summary, we were so very fortunate to have so much interest in our home and we’ll share all the for-sale-by-owner tricks and tips that we picked up along the way soon (when it comes to marketing, getting traffic, and all that jazz). Until then Clara, Burger and I can be found hanging out in the car. You know, for old time’s sake.
Christa M says
Looks like you and Burger are doing a stakeout and Clar’s just chillin’ :)
Cait @ Hernando House says
That’s hilarious about camping out in the car while John showed the house!
Rachel says
Great tips! At least all of your walks and waiting in the car were well worth it since you sold so fast. :)
Katherine M. says
I definitely understand the “being gone when the house shows” issue. When our house was on the market a couple of years ago, my husband was already at his new job in a new city so I was left behind to get the house sold. We used a Realtor, otherwise I would have been nuts by the end of the process. I would leave work early, tidy up, bake a quick batch of cookies, load the two dogs into the car, and drive around town for a little while. Some showings seemed to take forever so I would head back to the house, peek down the road to see if they were still there, and then keep driving if they were. It was great.
Mandy says
Can’t wait for this tips! We aren’t planning on moving for a few years, but would like to try our hand at selling on our own once that happens. Glad to know it can be done pretty easily!
Katie @ explanation required says
We had a similar number of showings on our place (we actually have to be out by this Friday) and I can remember running around like a crazy person trying to get the place ready to go. And that was with having a seller’s agent. I can’t imagine having to handle the actual showing on my own as well. Kudos to you!
How long was your house actually on the market before you accepted a contract? We were lucky enough to get two offers on day 17. Seems like you would be right around the same timeframe based on your postings here.
Congrats!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katie,
Our house was on the market around three weeks when we got an offer, but we actually didn’t accept that one off the bat and spent about another week negotiating things. Then it was time for inspection and another negotiation period. We had no idea it would strain our brain so much! Especially since buying our current house and our future house were so quick and painless!
xo,
s
Jennifer says
I was laughing at this because we’re about to list our house and I can just see me driving around for hours with our kiddo in the car while my husband plays Sandra Rinomato.
Did you guys have a hard time keeping the kitchen clean with as much as you eat in? I am wondering if we’re going to have to eat out more just for the sake of kitchen maintenance!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jennifer,
Yes! The kitchen was one of the biggest challenges! We definitely kept things simple (pasta, frozen pizzas, etc) so we didn’t have to break out the blender and scrub a million pots and pans between each showing!
xo,
s
Carol N. says
How clever! Has Burger been by the new casa yet to give his approval? I have this mental picture of one of you with Clara in her front loader carrier and the other one with Burger in one! (Sorry, I don’t know the ‘official’ name for those baby carriers where they are in front of you.)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Carol,
Burger actually has yet to meet the new house! But we have driven him by the front and told him all about it. The jury is still out as to whether he understands english, but he seems excited!
xo,
s
Najlee says
That’s so funny. I can imagine trying to view your home while being distracted by a cute baby. I would probably just start Oooooohing and aaaaaahing over the baby lol and forget about looking at the house. I’m sure the walks and the car music were fun:)
mike @ the lil house that could says
Oh man, I do not miss showing our condo. Granted we had a realtor to do all the work, but still — just knowing we couldn’t be in the house during certain times and knowing we ALWAYS had to keep the place insane clean used to drive us nuts!
But it all worked out for the better. Condo sold in less than a month and we’re now living in a great house!
Amy says
Congrats on getting your house sold as a FSBO. I’m a realtor, and I the statistics show that only something like 10% of FSBOs are actually sold! Ultimately, you must have priced it realistically and marketed it well. It probably doesn’t hurt that your house is well known and put together either! :)
Lydia says
Love it! Our condo is on the market, and I totally understand trying to find somewhere to go with a 4 month old baby and a dog.Now that cold weather is coming, it’s going to get even harder. Congrats on getting into contract! If only we were so lucky…
Stephanie says
Love the chilling in the car plan for showings! My husband and I just sold our home a few weeks ago…with a dog and two cats finding someplace to go during a showing was a real issue until we came up with Panera. We set up camp at one of the outdoor tables, with the dog on leash and both the cat carriers stacked under our table. We got a few strange looks when people realized we had our cats out with us though. Thank goodness we had a realtor – I don’t think either of us could have dealt with all three pets alone!
brandt @ New House on the Blog says
I remember being young and my parents were trying to sell their house, and every time we had a showing my mom would pile us in the car and take us on a drive…and I always remember those times because that was the excuse we had to get big cookies at Wendy’s. I LOVED it when they had multiple showings in a day.
Are we gonna hear some of John’s sales tips for shilling a home…I mean, showing a home?
YoungHouseLove says
Hi Brandt,
I don’t think anything I did during the showing sealed the deal (I think people put in offers on houses because they love the house and not the person who shows it) but to help people see the value in the house I pointed out all the pros (new windows, new roof, refinished floors, marble tile, granite counters, newly paved driveway, bedroom built-ins and appliances that conveyed, etc). I tried to keep the tone very businesslike so it didn’t feel conversational and too overly friendly because we figure it’s a business deal so keeping things professional and straightforward is a good plan. Seemed to work! As for what questions I got that I didn’t expect, there really isn’t anything that comes to mind. Most people just asked about when we got the new windows or how long we’ve had our new roof- other straightforward questions that were easy to answer. My advice would just be to be 100% honest and to have faith that the right person will come along and love what they see sooner or later. It only takes one buyer…
-John
Kelsey says
We listed our Minneapolis home when our son was just five weeks old–insanity, in retrospect. But since we had a Golden Retriever to clear out during showings, we needed me to be on maternity leave to make it happen.
We did the same thing–walks around the block, hanging in the car, and even crashed a few friends’ houses while they worked (with permission of course)! We had 32 showings in three and half weeks, and then we got to move on to packing!
Jackie Hintz says
saw your car keys in a picture with your little one. I used to let my kids [now 33 and 35) have our keys too. Since then I’ve learned there are things in keys you do not want in your babe’s system, lead for example still after all these years. Heads up!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip Jackie! I was sure not to let Clara put them in her mouth (I just dangled them over her like a mobile) but now I’ll even be sure not to let her touch them. Lead? Grosss!
xo,
s
julie says
Loving the bonus Clara photos! Also, I’ve been so curious to know if your buyers are also readers of your blog…I’m thinking how could they not be!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Julie,
Our buyers have never heard of our blog, but we did disclose it to them just so they’re in the know that pics of the house with our furnishings will remain on the site. They’re fine with it, which is certainly important!
xo,
s
tjack says
The little one is getting plumper and cuter with each day. I love that bald little head :)
carolinaheartstrings says
Great advice on how to sell your own home. I cannot image how much stress 16 showings put on you two with a small child. Well done!
Kristin says
This question may have been asked and answered in the “Hot ‘n’ Cold” comments, but it just occurred to me to wonder… Did you sell House #1 to a YHL reader or to someone woefully not in-the-know?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kristin,
Our buyers have never heard of our blog, but we did disclose it to them just so they’re in the know that pics of the house with our furnishings will remain on the site. They’re fine with it, which is certainly important!
xo,
s
Becky G says
I am jealous of your 16 showings. When I was selling my condo a couple years ago (at the worst possible time) our record high was 16 in one weekend, and it wasn’t an open house! It was the dead of winter in Chicago and going on walks wasn’t really an ideal option. I had a lot of coffee during that time – it was the only place to go!
Anyway, congrats on the house sale! Isn’t it such a relief?? Now you can look forward to all the fun new things you get to do in house #2!
Good luck with the move!
Begoña says
I was really sad when I heard you were gonna sell your house (in a kind of weird way it felt mine too, you know what i mean) but right now all i wanna do is meet missis new house!So please please please tell me when are you moving in!!
LauraC says
Oh, you crack me up! I would have assumed you would have gone to John’s sister’s place, but the car works too!
Erin T. says
Glad it all worked out for you guys!
My husband and I lived apart for 9 months while I stayed in Charlotte, NC to try to sell our house. 40-something showings and no offers later we are landlords, but finally enjoying life together in Viginia!
I worked night shift while house on market = miserable! Waking up and sittting in my car down the block until they were done!
r8chel says
I was out of town for the first and only (!) weekend my house was on the market, so I never had to deal with the “where do I escape to?” dilemma. I’m so glad you don’t have to deal with it anymore either!
Roseanna says
We’re also selling our first home and have recently moved into our new place. (Which was purchased from a family estate so we didn’t have to sell before we moved. Yay family!) I’m realizing now how awesome it is that we can show a house that isn’t being lived in. While it isn’t staged, atleast it’s clean.
Noelle says
My hubby and I are now pros at cleaning the house top to bottom- thank heavens its a small place- We’ve gotten so good at the cleaning that we have to leave our place an hour or two hours earlier than the showing so we don’t mess it up-
Heck we even clean off the dog hair and lint that gets on the bottom of furniture-
I have to say having our place the market has been a great and sad learning experience- sad b/c it did not sell but great because I am less likely to buy items or leave clutter behind me in our place now.
Chelsea says
Congrats on selling your house! We just sold ours as well and it took over 50 showings! Whew. We have a dog so I’m very familiar with the walking/waiting in the car thing :) We did use a realtor but felt it probably wasn’t the best idea to leave our 60 pound lab inside with him!
Christine says
Haha, this is too cute! My husband and I did similar things when our house was being shown. We’d go for a walk around the neighbourhood or out for a drive. The funniest is when you’d come back too early and they’d still be there. You felt so creepy sitting a few houses down stalking your own house!!
Congratulations again :)
Lisa says
we used to go for walks or hang out in the car, too. Our house was on the market for five weeks in spring of 2009….when I was eight months pregnant with our third child and had a 2 yr old and a 4 yr old. Keeping the house in showroom condition wasn’t easy. My four year old wasn’t thrilled about letting people into our house and always asked “they won’t play with my toys, will they?”
For one showing I tossed the kids in the car, went to a friends for a short visit and when we came back, the realtor and the prospective buyer were still on our front porch. I parked a few houses down. My 4 yr old asked me to roll down the window, so I did. He stuck his head out and started screaming at the top of lungs “HEY YOU!!! GET OFF MY PORCH!!! Put those keys back in the box! Go home now!”
Needless to say those people did not buy our house.
beekeebear says
Ha! I know some people around here that could take some showing lessons from you guys! My husband and I have been house hunting for about a year now. One house was the worst. At most houses we saw, no one was home; occasionally the seller’s realtor was there. But at this one house, the owner was home AND had company when we arrived. When our broker made a comment out of politeness, asking if this was still a good time or something, she said (grudgingly) that it was fine and she had just put dinner in the oven. WHAT?!
Anyway, the guests were waiting on the front step, and the owner went out front, too. So we assumed they were there the whole time waiting for us to get done–turns out they had left at some point, but we were uncomfortable the whole time nonetheless.
But the kicker? As we touring the master suite, the toilet lid was not only left up, but a big fat turd was left floating in the bowl to greet us. No toilet paper, just a giant fat turd floating there.
We refered to it ever-after as “the poop house”. Needless to say we didn’t buy it. And the house is still on the market, nearly a year later, and they’ve dropped their price about $35k in the meantime. However, it would seem to me that price is not their problem! Good luck with that, poop-house lady.
Rachel says
Man that baby is cute!
When we sold our last home, my husband moved out of state a few months before we sold. Which left me with four kids and a house to show! We were able to keep it surprisingly clean, mostly because I have the best little kids ever. And we hung out at McDonald’s playland A. LOT. That place gives me hives now.
Ami @ beyondpeasandcarrots says
hahaha isn’t it funny how creative you get when you have a baby? I have never made up so many songs and silly dances in my life. Also, keys are such an easy mobile and Holden loves them too!! I should have just hung keys from the ceiling above his crib instead of buying a mobile!!
Mike @HA says
16 batches of baked goods and you managed to lose weight? Rock on :)
Alyssa says
Sherry-
I live in an apartment and i have a neutral couch and my coffee table and side table are brown with glass tops. I need somewhere to store my DVD collection but it is very hard to find a side table that closes to hide whatever you’ve stored in it. I am at the point where i am going to result to buying a 2 drawer filing cabinet- painting it some fun color and making that my other side table/ dvd storage. Do you have any other creative ideas or ways to store dvd’s in a side table type setting?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
You can also get cool woven baskets and slide them under a coffee table or side table or even invest in storage ottomans (either woven jute ones or even faux leather or upholstered ones) so you can tuck your DVD collection inside. Good luck!
xo,
s
J'Anns Boutique says
You guys look like your up to something lol.
http://jannsboutique.blogspot.com/
Heather says
Can I tell you that my family and I are going through the same thing right now? Our house has been on the market for 65 days. We have 1 year old twins, a dog, a cat and five rabbits that all have to go when someone calls to see the house. I feel your pain!
Luna says
Fortune cookies in their little plastic wrappers are a great toy for in a pinch too!
Beth says
Clara is so cute :)Burger too, of course. Will there be a more in depth post about what you did to show your house that you think ultimately helped sell it? Also, what sorts of questions did propesctive buyers ask that surprised you? We’re looking to put our house on the market next spring and appreciate any advice/insight you can offer because we are brand new to this and hope to sell by owner too!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Beth,
I don’t think anything I did during the showing sealed the deal (I think people put in offers on houses because they love the house and not the person who shows it) but to help people see the value in the house I pointed out all the pros (new windows, new roof, refinished floors, marble tile, granite counters, newly paved driveway, bedroom built-ins and appliances that conveyed, etc). I tried to keep the tone very businesslike so it didn’t feel conversational and too overly friendly because we figure it’s a business deal so keeping things professional and straightforward is a good plan. Seemed to work! As for what questions I got that I didn’t expect, there really isn’t anything that comes to mind. Most people just asked about when we got the new windows or how long we’ve had our new roof- other straightforward questions that were easy to answer. My advice would just be to be 100% honest and to have faith that the right person will come along and love what they see sooner or later. It only takes one buyer…
-John
Tana says
16 times? Hahahaha, try about 40 some times, which is what it took to get our last house sold. Plus add in 3 young children, and 3 1/2 months of showings, and you get one nearly insane mom.
I can totally relate to piling everyone into the car and driving up the street as our house was being shown. We did that so many times I felt like the car was our second home.
hjc says
It is so cool that you guys even DIY your real estate transactions!
On a totally unrelated note – we watched American Pickers this weekend (a cable show about junking – not noses, thankfully!) and the one guy, Mike Wolfe, could be John’s older brother. I kept thinking, “Who does this guy remind me of?” Oh yeah! My blog “friend” – too funny.
Linda says
Those are some really great tips. More people should think about them when selling their homes, I have no idea how many dirty toilet bowls we could see or water spotted faucets when we were house hunting.
And just a funny question, if Burger doesn’t understand English, what language would you guess he understands? (We used to wonder the same thing about our dogs, lol.) :)
Jessica @ How Sweet says
Love it! Those are great ideas. And she is too adorable!
jackie g. photog says
funny! we were showing our house in TX for a rental, and we would do the same thing….at first we would pack up the dogs and go away for the requisite hour, but after like 7 no-shows, we would wait until we saw them pull up to the house, then run out the back into the garage and drive down the block and “observe” who we thought was “worthy” of renting our little gem! :)
Connie says
I don’t know how the other blog viewers feel. But I appreciate you sharing your experiences and home with us. I get to live my life carelessly through your blog. One day I’ma gonna get there. My house will one day soon feel as lived in and loved as yours. So warm and inviting. I hope you will share home packing and moving tips with us. As I am sure you already have it planned out.
Kate says
I think its a riot that you were hiding in the car!
Any idea if the buyers were readers of the site???
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kate,
They weren’t! They’d actually never heard of our site, but we disclosed it just so they were in the know.
xo,
s
Evan says
Great post, Sherry. Now I want to hear John’s perspective on how he put together the showings (the order of the rooms, etc.) and what details he shared with the potential buyers that added up to success.
YoungHouseLove says
Hi Evan,
I don’t think anything I did during the showing sealed the deal (I think people put in offers on houses because they love the house and not the person who shows it) but to help people see the value in the house I pointed out all the pros (new windows, new roof, refinished floors, marble tile, granite counters, newly paved driveway, bedroom built-ins and appliances that conveyed, etc). I tried to keep the tone very businesslike so it didn’t feel conversational and too overly friendly because we figure it’s a business deal so keeping things professional and straightforward is a good plan. Seemed to work!
-John
jeanne says
If I had to show our house I think I’d have a total breakdown. The dusting alone would do me in. Between the 4 kids and the dog, omg… disaster city. You guys get major kudos for pulling it together. Thanks for showing the reality behind the smooth sailing.
susan says
A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Hopefully you were able to nap in the car too. susan
Nik says
Arg…we aren’t selling just yet, but are planning on it in the next year or two. I guess I am already dreading the process. Mainly because, unlike John, my husband is not the neatest/cleanest individual in the world. It didn’t really hit me until we had our first child 4 months ago. Now, I feel like I have 2 kids that I have to pick up after. Messy boys!! Can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em.