First Person: Dealing With a Last Minute Home Showing

When your house in on the market, if you're doing it right, it's a huge pain. You need to keep it spotless (really) in a way that almost no one does on a daily basis...the beds made, the trash cans empty, towels folded, the dishes done. The list is endless. Your home should look like a model home whenever possible and that starts with a deep cleaning up-front for things like closets, basements, refrigerators and attics... things that once you do them, will not need to be revisited.

But sometimes you just get caught off-guard. A last-minute showing request, thinking you had no showings scheduled for the weekend so you 'let loose' a little and let things get out of hand, have guests over, whatever. When you get a call for a showing, it's NEVER a good idea to say "no," ever. When buyers are in town or in the mood, accommodating them is key; few buyers buy homes they never see. Wanna sell? You gotta show and tell.

So if you get a request, are caught with your drapes down, here's what to focus on if you have 15, 30 or 60 minutes.

Fifteen Minutes: This is triage time... turn on all the lights, open every drape and window treatment (there is no faking clean, so at this point you need to highlight the views, natural light, etc.). Make sure the beds are made, hide open garbage cans, and wipe down kitchen counters and be sure the toilets are clean. Bathrooms and kitchens are where buyers make assumptions... if things look bad there, they assume it's worse everywhere else.

Thirty Minutes: All of the above, but take time to put away any toys or extraneous items on surfaces; anything on a counter, kitchen table, bedside table, anything that makes the place look cluttered or causes you to step over or around anything on the floor.

An Hour: All the above, plus clean all the bathrooms and spot-clean the kitchen. Hopefully you're keeping up on dishes and the like; run the vacuum in high-traffic areas and be sure that pet items are tidy, too.

Keep in mind that asking for extra time to get the house ready is fine. Ask specifically about the time-frame, and then request an extra 30 minutes or so, and see if that flies. With some buyers and their agents, it's not big deal. For others on a tight schedule or who are poor planners, it may not be an option, but always ask. Buyer agents know that homes are more likely to appeal to their clients if sellers are putting forth their best efforts.

Of course, the ideal option is to always be ready. When my parents moved us every three years, we knew that when the house was on the market, it was time to live like we owned a museum. That's a lot to ask of a busy household with pets and kids. But the closer you are to maintaining that ideal, the easier it is to be ready for what might be the buyer of your home!

More from this contributor:
4 Must-Do's for Sales Success in This Challenging Market
Your Personal Possessions Send Messages to Potential Homebuyers
Creating a Seller's Notebook for Potential Buyers: 20 Ideas to Help Buyers See Your House is the One!