10 Pro Tips On How to Make Home Showings Count

When buyers walk through your home, you want them to do more than simply admire the rooms — you want them to begin imagining what it would feel like to live there. So what helps that happen? One useful approach is to look at your home through a buyer’s eyes and consider what they’re likely to notice first. Some things may help them appreciate the space, the features, and the possibilities. Others may unintentionally compete for their attention. Not every home needs every adjustment, but these 10 practical tips can help you decide what makes sense for yours.

1. DECLUTTER
One of the easiest ways to help buyers appreciate your home is to give them room to see it clearly. Take a look around each room and ask yourself what you’d most like buyers to notice. If personal belongings, accessories, or extra furniture compete for their attention, removing some of them may help the room feel larger and allow its best features to stand out. Think about the clean, uncluttered feeling of a high-end hotel room. Clearing bathroom counters, showers, dressers, and entryways can make a noticeable difference. Organizing closets makes the available storage easier to see, and removing an extra piece of furniture or some wall décor may give a room more breathing room. The goal isn’t to empty the house — it’s to recognize what helps buyers see the space and what may be getting in the way.

2. DEEP CLEAN
Buyers notice the little things, and those little things can influence a bigger question: How well has this home been cared for? Beyond the obvious floors, countertops, and bathrooms, it may be worth taking a closer look at grout, window sills, corners, backsplashes, light switches, doors, and appliances. A home doesn’t need to look untouched, but its condition should reinforce the impression that it has been well maintained. If time is limited, consider whether doing everything yourself makes sense or whether a professional cleaning service could take some of the pressure off while making sure the details don’t get overlooked.

3. NEUTRALIZE YOUR SPACE
There’s a balance to find here. Your home should still feel welcoming, but buyers also need enough visual space to imagine their own lives there. Personal photos, collections, personal-care items, and distinctive décor aren’t necessarily a problem simply because they’re personal. A better question is whether they help buyers appreciate the room or pull attention away from it. You don’t need to remove every trace of personality. The idea is simply to give buyers enough room to picture themselves living there rather than feeling as though they’re visiting someone else’s home.

4. ARRANGE FURNITURE
Furniture placement can change the way buyers experience a room, so take a moment to consider what each space is communicating. Is it easy to move through? Does the arrangement make the room’s purpose obvious? Does the furniture help the space feel open, or does it make it seem smaller than it really is? Sometimes moving a few pieces is enough; other times removing something altogether gives the room more breathing room. As a general guideline, a bedroom usually needs only the essentials — a bed, nightstands, lamps, a dresser, and perhaps a chair if space allows. For additional ideas, this article by Better Homes & Gardens shows 20 different ways to arrange a living room, while this article offers layouts for different purposes and lifestyles. You may also find the living-room styling advice in this article by The Spruce helpful.

5. LIGHT IT UP
Good lighting can make rooms feel larger, warmer, and more inviting, so this is one of those relatively simple changes that can have an outsized effect. Open curtains and blinds whenever possible to bring in natural light, and consider turning on lamps and overhead lighting even during the day. Where appropriate, hanging curtain rods above the window opening can also create the impression of greater height. As you look at each room, ask yourself a simple question: does the lighting help buyers see this space at its best? This article offers additional lighting recommendations for each room.

6. USE NATURAL SCENTS
Scent can influence how comfortable a buyer feels in a home, but this is an area where more isn’t necessarily better. A strong fragrance may be distracting, and some buyers may even wonder whether it’s covering up another odor. Before adding fragrance, consider what the home actually needs. Fresh and clean may be enough. If you decide to use a scent, keeping it light, simple, and consistent throughout the home is usually the safer approach. Some options include:

  • Natural fragrances can work well. For example, slice a fresh lemon and simmer it in water before a showing, or use a subtle seasonal scent such as cinnamon during cooler months.
  • Put natural reeds in a decorative jar along with a pleasant, neutral oil like inis, tangerine, or eucalyptus.
  • Use orange oil multi-purpose cleaner when dusting furniture and appropriate surfaces for a subtle fresh scent.
  • If you use a scented cleaning product such as “Fabuloso,” give the fragrance plenty of time to dissipate before buyers arrive.
  • Plug-in air fresheners that use oils are another option, but keep the setting low and choose a mild fragrance. Cashmere Woods by Glade is one example of a softer scent.
  • If you’re already planning to paint, there are products that allow you to add scent directly into the paint. As with any fragrance, subtle is usually best.

Research has suggested that simple scents may be more effective than complex ones in retail environments. Rather than layering different fragrances throughout the house, choose one subtle scent, if any, and use it sparingly.

7. REMOVE PETS
Pets are part of the family, but a showing is one of those times when it helps to think about the experience from someone else’s perspective. Some buyers may have allergies; others may simply be uncomfortable around animals. Whenever possible, consider arranging for pets to be somewhere else while buyers visit. Putting away bowls, beds, toys, litter boxes, and other pet-related items and addressing any lingering odors or pet hair can also help. That gives buyers the chance to concentrate on the home rather than being distracted by its four-legged residents.

8. HIGHLIGHT HIDDEN FEATURES
Some of your home’s best features may not be obvious during a quick walk-through. Think about what you would want buyers to know if you were standing there with them. Upgrades such as a reverse osmosis water filter, energy-efficient water heater, whole-house surge protector, or another valuable feature can easily go unnoticed. A simple, professional-looking tent card with a brief explanation may be enough to help buyers recognize an improvement they might otherwise walk right past.

9. SET THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE
Comfort matters because buyers are more likely to take their time when they aren’t thinking about how quickly they can get back outside. In colder weather, that usually means a pleasantly warm interior; during warmer months, a comfortably cool home may encourage buyers to linger. There isn’t one perfect temperature for every house, season, or climate. What matters is creating an environment where buyers feel comfortable enough to slow down, look around, and experience the home.

10. HIDE VALUABLES
This final step isn’t really about presentation — it’s about protecting you. During showings, visitors may have access to many areas of the property, so consider what you wouldn’t want left unattended. Jewelry, electronics, medications, financial papers, important documents, valuable artwork, and other personal items are best secured before showings begin. It protects your belongings while also helping the home feel clean and neutral.

None of these ideas is about making your home feel artificial or changing things simply for the sake of changing them. It’s really about deciding which adjustments could help buyers notice what makes your home worth considering. You may find that much of the home already works beautifully for showings and only a few things deserve attention. I can help you look at it through a buyer’s eyes, talk through anything that may be getting in the way, and offer recommendations where they’re useful. From there, you can decide which changes make sense for you and your home.