This is from my Arizona Republic column:
I love this one: Not only is the home I’m showing occupied, the seller is right there. Blocking the doorway. Hovering over the buyers. And smoking — inside the house.
It’s rare to find a seller this talented at obstructing the sale of his or her home. But many sellers manage to get in their own way despite themselves.
The most common way — and it probably seems harmless to you — is by making the house unavailable to show. I call at 10 a.m., seeking to show at 10:30. You entreat me to come at noon instead, which means you’re asking me to backtrack a long way for one house. If my buyers find something else they like, your home may lose by default.
Ideally, the home should be vacant. If you can’t afford to move, move everything you can. Buyers have to be able to mentally “place” their own furniture, and they can’t do that if the house is too crowded.
Go out when the home is being shown. Don’t hang around outside — take a walk. Absent yourself all day every Saturday and Sunday. Give the buyers the freedom to explore the house.
And don’t give the buyers’ Realtor the opportunity to probe you for your motivations and level of urgency — which will be used against you in negotiation.
The article goes on to detail things that should be addressed to make the home most presentable — and therefore most market-ready: Cleanliness, pets, smoking and other odors.
The bottom line: “If you want an easy, profitable sale, stay out of your own way.”
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