Tackling Summer DIY Tips During Your Quarantine

It is no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has significantly disrupted the lives of everyone across the globe. Schools are closed, employees are required to work from home, and stores are operating in a limited capacity.

Even with these changes, the real estate market is going strong. Even with news of the recession, many real estate experts feel that today's housing market is different than the one in 2008, as banks have tightened their lending standards. Prices also have been relatively stable due to people choosing to stay put during the pandemic.

Considering those facts, if you have been thinking of selling your home, now is a great time to list, because you will not face as much competition and you no longer need to have large groups of visitors on your property for open houses.

A new twist on selling homes

Now that many municipalities are placing limits on group gatherings, many real estate agents and sellers are hosting virtual home showings during the coronavirus pandemic. These consist of a real estate agent using a video conferencing tool such as Zoom, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube to stream a walkthrough of a property to prospective buyers. 

During these sessions, buyers can ask questions and receive answers from the agent in real-time. If needed, the agent can even revisit rooms or hone in on specific areas at the request of buyers. You can also create pre-recorded walkthroughs for your online property profile. This helps to ensure a higher level of interest when a buyer signs up to attend a virtual showing.

Making your home look great to buyers

Making your home look great for virtual tours is not as complicated as it sounds. Cleaning your home during the coronavirus pandemic is just like routine cleaning, but with a higher focus on detail. For starters, you will want to buff countertops so that they shine and ensure that glass surfaces such as windows and mirrors do not have streak marks.

Decluttering is another essential part of preparing your home for a virtual showing. This requires you to stow non-essential items throughout your home, such as children's toys, family photos and memorabilia, and small appliances that you do not use daily. 

You also need to clear out and stage your closets and pantry, since buyers want to see all parts of a home before committing to a purchase. 

As you clean your home, ensure that there are clear paths for the walkthrough. Keep the following guidelines in mind:

• Keep 14-18 inches between sofas and coffee tables.

• Seating such as chairs and sofas should be 30-36 inches apart.

• There should be 12-24 inches of space between area rugs and the wall. This helps to make the room's dimensions more visually appealing, and it helps to keep people from tripping.

Finally, you should ensure there is consistent lighting throughout your home. Just because light bulbs have the same wattage or shape does not mean that they provide the same style of lighting. If a fixture has multiple bulbs, ensure that you stick to LED or fluorescent bulbs, but not both. It also is important to ensure all bulbs and fixtures in a room have the same brightness.

For more on COVID-19 and the real estate comeback, check out HomeLight's Top Agent Insight Survey from Q2.