"I think the great livers, the people who are

fully self-actualizing and alive, are the

great givers."

Mark Victor Hansen

"You can get everything in life you want if

you will just help enough other people get

what they want."

Zig Ziglar

Obviously, your home should look its best when potential

buyers arrive. However, time is not always on your side. There

may be times when you have only a few minutes to get things

ready.What you do with those minutes can mean the difference

between an interested buyer ... and one who crosses your

home off the list.

Here are some things you can do to help your home look its best

in just five minutes or less:

• Put away coats, hats, and shoes. Clean up, especially

around the foyer. You don't want clutter to be the first

thing a buyer sees.

• Turn on all lights and lamps. A home that is bright

looks larger.

• Put on some soft music. Easy listening is the best choice.

Don't play rock or jazz music because some people might

dislike it.Think elevator music.

• Make sure the toilet lids are down.Even when a washroom

is sparkling clean, a raised toilet seat gives the impression -

however incorrectly - that things are less than hygienic.

• Relocate the pets. Put pets in the backyard or basement,

or at least segregate them in a separate room. Better still,

take them away from your home entirely.

• Close the garage doors.Most garages don't look great on

the inside.

• Hide the waste bins. Keep them out of site.
• Wash the dishes. If possible, don't leave them on a drying

rack. Put them away.

• Put away personal items. Put family pictures, bills, and

other personally identifying information away.You want the

buyers to visualize themselves living in your home, not you.

• Open all curtains and blinds. This makes rooms look

bigger and brighter, even at night.

You don't have to roll an actual red carpet

down your walkway every time you show

your home. (But it wouldn't hurt!)

The most important thing is to make sure

the journey to your front door is a

pleasant one. That's when buyers form

their first impressions.

Make sure the walkway is swept clean and

is clear. The last thing you want is for a

buyer to trip on a broken paving stone,

or get matted clumps of freshly-cut grass

stuck to their pant legs!

Not intended to cause or induce the breach of, cancellation of, assignment of, or to interfere in any way with the existing agency agreement of another Realtor.