Selling Your Home? Here's Why You Should Clear Out for Showings

When you have listed your property on the market and are looking for someone who wants to buy the home, you can expect that you will have to show the house. This means having potential buyers come through to take a look.

The exact number of showings that you'll have are going to vary based on many factors, including the condition of your house, the real estate market, and a little bit of luck if you just happen to have the right buyers come through. In general, however, it's normal to expect upward of 20 showings.

When these showings happen, you and your family should leave the house. Doing so will maximize the chances that the house will sell quickly and for a fair price. The goal being to earn enough money on the sale to pay off your mortgage loan and perhaps even make a profit.

Here are a few big reasons why clearing out during a showing makes sense.

It enables potential buyers to talk freely

When buyers come to your home, they will likely want to talk about its features with their real estate agent and with their co-buyer(s), if they have one. They may want to discuss whether they could love your bathroom if they changed out that "hideous" wallpaper, for example.

If you're there, they may not feel comfortable asking the questions they want of their real estate agent or having the discussions they need to decide if the home is the right place for them. This could subconsciously make them less likely to follow up with a mortgage lender about purchasing the property.

It allows buyers to more easily picture themselves in your home

You want people to be able to see themselves living in your home and building their dream life there. Unfortunately, if you are at the property during showings, this can interrupt their ability to create a vision of this fantasy life.

You don't want the visitors to your home thinking about or focusing on who lives there right now, as that may make them less likely to move forward with purchasing. It will be more difficult for them to picture their own future there.

It allows you to avoid hurt feelings

Finally, chances are good that you don't want to hear bad things about your home -- especially if you've decorated or designed it yourself or if you've created a ton of memories over the years there. If you hear a potential home buyer criticizing your home, that can sting.

There's no reason to subject yourself to this, especially if the potential buyers can give feedback to your real estate agent. They can then (politely) pass on any advice that might be relevant to changes you could make to increase the chances of a sale.

The bottom line is this: It's definitely a pain to clear out for multiple showings -- but if you want to sell your house as quickly as possible and for the best price possible, it's worth doing. Ideally, if you're not there, the right buyers will be able to envision themselves in your space and you won't have to endure that many showings in the end.