Dirty Secrets For Selling Your Home: How To Make Your Dallas Home More Appealing To Buyers When It’s 104
It’s July and hot as hell in Texas. Agents tell me the open houses are not quite so open, and you even have to serve margaritas at the garage sales at seven a.m. just to keep people from passing out. So how to make your home appealing to buyers — and light — when it’s 104 outside?
If you have water features, focus on those. Make sure the pool is in great shape and stage a little basket of goodies, including a drink, on a floatie — Frontgate sells great pool floaties. (A model slathered in suncreen, the best — does she come with the house?) Roll beach towels on the chaise longues. Make sure the patio is flawless — no dead potted plants. You will have to open up the windows and let in light — but not if one window eminates heat like a hot coal. (Keep that one closed.) Crank up the A/C one hour before the scheduled open house — this is not a time to conserve energy. A hot house shouts loud and clear “HVAC problemos.”
Last but not least: serve small, cute cups of chilled lemonade and offer chilled water as the potential buyers depart. In fact, leave a pretty iced container of water by the front door. I’ve heard of one agent who has even printed up labels of her listings on bottled water. Pretty extreme, but so is the Texas heat right about now.
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That was exactly my concern, as I’m probably putting my house on the market some time in August. Beautiful mid-century modern, with, of course, complete walls of glass. I didn’t know if I needed to require all showings to be before 10AM or not!
Good tips! We bought our current house 4 years ago this August. While there are many reasons we decided on this one, the sellers & agent were savvy about the season.
Upon arrival, we found a lovely tray of freshly iced tea with glasses and fixins waiting for us on the kitchen counter – note: pink & yellow & blue stuff with white and raw sugar packets…nice touch. Felt pampered.
The A/C was set at 65, and we felt deliciously chilly after walking the 2 acre property.
I do agree that AC is #1. Especially upstairs and in the master bedroom. Crank it up there. Outside, consider getting one or more of those mister fans.
As far as the lemonade and fancy beach towels, forget it. Better to invest in fabulous landscaping and super cool lighting fixtures.