Blog: "Tub Living" Keeps Sellers Sane, Home Ready for Showings

Lisa Wetzel and Jim Valentine are regular bloggers, offering real estate advice on topics ranging from finding reliable real estate information on the Internet to weeding a garden and dealing with low offers.

A recent post from Wetzel and Valentine, both Sales Associates with RE/MAX Realty Affiliates in Gardnerville, Nev., featured tips for sellers who've had their home on the market longer than they planned and are trying to "stay sane" while keeping the home ready for showings. They suggest you recommend your clients start "tub living."

So just what is tub living? Here are some excerpts from the post to explain:

When the call comes for a showing, most sellers immediate reaction is to "pick up." Many will pick up every day in anticipation of a showing, and still worry about things being picked up. This anxiety can take its toll. Here's a simple solution: buy a big plastic tub for each room. When you have a showing, remove the clutter by throwing unattractive essentials in the tub, i.e. - toys, magazines, clothes, etc. This tub system will work especially well for your teen's room - put the games, clothes, all the loose "teen gear," in a big tub. Put the tub in the garage and leave it there.

 

We understand that if you take numerous medications it is convenient to have them on the kitchen table, but it is not good for a buyer to know your medical condition. Put your medicine in a small tub and stow it away in a kitchen cabinet. Smaller tubs work well for bathroom counters, cleaning your bills off the desk, etc. Everything is still organized, but out of sight for a buyer.

Our Advice: Every showing is much more important these days. There is a lot of competition and there aren't ten more buyers behind the one bad or missed showing you have like there was two years ago. Don's fret over getting everything perfect - a less than perfect showing is better than not showing your home. If they are ready to buy and can't see your home they will buy someone else's. Keep you home market ready, but don't worry about it being "sterile." Some homes are so incredibly clean and uncluttered that buyers will ask "Does anybody live here?" Most don't relate to a home like that as they will to one that is clean and tidy, but lived in.

Extended marketing periods are a reality - make the best of it, however "Tub Living" can be tiresome too after awhile. Tubbing will help your home show better - pricing will help it sell better.