How Should I Prepare My Home for Showings?
When buyers come to see your home, you want them focused on the home itself—not the dishes in the sink, a room that's too dark, or everything you had to rush out the door and leave behind.
Once your home is on the market, showings become an important part of the selling process.
And yes, keeping a house ready for people to walk through—especially while you're still living there—can sometimes feel like a lot.
The good news is that your home doesn't have to be perfect for every showing.
A simple routine can help you keep it clean, comfortable, and welcoming without feeling like you're constantly preparing for company.
Quick Takeaways
Clean and tidy matters more than making your home look perfect.
Reduce everyday clutter so buyers can focus on the house.
Open blinds or curtains when appropriate and make sure rooms are well lit.
Pay attention to odors rather than trying to cover them with strong fragrances.
Make beds and straighten the main living areas before showings.
Secure medications, valuables, financial documents, and other private items.
If possible, sellers and pets should be out of the home during showings.
Create a simple showing routine so getting ready doesn't become overwhelming.
Start With Clean and Tidy
You don't have to deep-clean your entire home before every showing.
But buyers will notice overall cleanliness.
Before a showing, concentrate on the areas that tend to make the biggest difference:
Make the beds.
Put away dirty dishes.
Wipe kitchen counters.
Straighten bathroom counters.
Put dirty clothes in a hamper.
Pick up toys and everyday clutter.
Empty overflowing trash cans.
Straighten pillows and blankets.
Quickly sweep or vacuum obvious debris when needed.
The goal is for buyers to notice the home, not everything that happened in the home that morning.
Clear the Main Surfaces
Kitchen counters, bathroom vanities, tables, and other surfaces can quickly collect everyday items.
You don't need to remove everything, but reducing what is sitting out can make rooms feel cleaner and help buyers see the available space.
Pay particular attention to:
Kitchen countertops
Kitchen island
Dining table
Bathroom vanities
Nightstands
Entryway
Coffee and end tables
You don't need empty rooms or completely bare counters.
Just give the home a little breathing room.
Let the Light In
Before a showing, open blinds or curtains when appropriate and turn on lights in darker areas.
Natural light can help rooms feel bright and inviting, while adequate interior lighting helps buyers see the home's features more clearly.
Don't forget spaces such as:
Hallways
Closets
Laundry rooms
Bathrooms
Bonus rooms
Garages
Also check that the lights you're turning on actually work. A burned-out or nonfunctioning light can make an otherwise perfectly good room feel darker than it should.
What About Smells?
This is an important one because we often become accustomed to the way our own homes smell.
Cooking, pets, smoke, garbage, damp areas, and other everyday sources can create odors that a homeowner may no longer notice.
If there's a source of an unpleasant odor, try to address the source rather than simply covering it.
And be cautious with:
Strong candles
Plug-in fragrances
Heavy air fresheners
Strong cleaning products
Overpowering sprays
A home doesn't need to smell like anything in particular.
Clean and fresh is enough.
What Should I Do With Pets?
If possible, make arrangements for pets to be out of the home during showings.
That's usually more comfortable for the pet and makes it easier for buyers to move through the property.
If removing a pet isn't possible, talk with your real estate agent ahead of time about the best arrangement.
Also remember to:
Clean litter boxes.
Pick up pet waste outside.
Put away food when practical.
Clean obvious pet hair.
Secure pet medications and supplies as appropriate.
And always make sure your agent knows there are animals associated with the property so showing instructions can be handled appropriately.
Protect Your Valuables and Personal Information
People will be walking through your home during showings, so put away items you wouldn't want accessible.
That includes things such as:
Prescription medications
Jewelry
Cash
Financial documents
Checkbooks
Credit cards
Passports and identification
Spare keys
Sensitive paperwork
Small valuable items
It's also a good idea to remove or secure documents containing account numbers or other private information.
Don't rely on buyers or their agent to know that something is private simply because it's inside your home.
Should I Leave During Showings?
Whenever possible, yes.
Buyers are generally more comfortable looking through a home when the seller isn't there.
They may want to stop in a room, look more closely at something, or talk with their agent without feeling as though they're inconveniencing the homeowner.
Leaving also allows the buyer's agent to conduct the showing without the seller feeling like they need to explain every feature of the house.
Let the home—and the showing—do the work.
What About Closets and Cabinets?
Buyers may look inside closets and other areas that are considered part of the home.
That doesn't mean every closet needs to look like a magazine.
But if a closet is packed so tightly that buyers can't see the available space, removing some items may help.
The same is true for:
Pantry
Linen closets
Garage storage
Laundry areas
Built-in cabinetry
You don't have to empty them.
You just want buyers to be able to understand the storage the home provides.
Don't Forget the Outside
The showing begins before buyers walk through the front door.
When possible, keep the entrance and exterior looking reasonably neat.
Before a showing, check for things such as:
Packages sitting at the door
Trash cans left out
Toys or equipment blocking walkways
Pet waste
Fallen limbs or obvious debris
Clutter around the front entrance
You don't need to redo the landscaping before every appointment.
A quick look around can be enough.
Create a 15-Minute Showing Routine
This is one of the easiest ways to make living in a listed home less stressful.
Create a short routine that you can do whenever you receive showing notice.
For example:
Bedrooms: Make beds and pick up clothes.
Kitchen: Put away dishes and clear counters.
Bathrooms: Straighten counters and hang towels.
Living areas: Pick up clutter and straighten pillows.
Whole house: Open blinds, turn on lights as needed, take out obvious trash, and do a quick walk-through.
Before leaving: Secure valuables, gather pets, and make sure doors are ready for the showing instructions you've been given.
Once you have a routine, preparing doesn't feel quite as much like starting from scratch every time.
What If I Can't Make the House Perfect?
Don't panic.
Life happens.
Sometimes a buyer requests a showing when you've had a busy day, the kids have been home, laundry isn't finished, or you simply don't have time to make everything perfect.
A showing is still an opportunity for someone to see your home.
Talk with your listing agent about your showing preferences and how much notice you realistically need.
The goal is to balance making the home available to buyers with making the process manageable for you.
The Bottom Line
If you only remember one thing from this article, let it be this:
Your home doesn't have to be perfect for a showing—it needs to be welcoming enough for buyers to focus on what they're there to see.
Keep things reasonably clean, control clutter, let in some light, address odors, protect your private belongings, and develop a simple routine you can repeat.
From Dana & John
We know what we're asking when we tell a seller someone would like to see their home—especially when you're still living your everyday life there.
Our advice is not to drive yourself crazy trying to make everything perfect every single time. We'd rather help you create a simple routine that keeps the house showing-ready without making you feel like you can't live in your own home.
And if you get a last-minute showing request and the house isn't perfect, talk to us. We'll help you decide what makes sense rather than automatically missing an opportunity for a buyer to see your home.
Continue Learning
If you're getting your home ready for buyers, these resources may also help:
→ Should I Stage My Home Before Selling?
→ What Should I Do Before Listing My Home?
→ What Repairs Should I Make Before Selling?
→ Which Home Improvements Are Worth the Money?
Have Questions?
If you're preparing to sell and wondering what you can do to make your home show its best, we're happy to walk through it with you and help you create a plan before it goes on the market.
Dana & John Martin – Team Martin
Waters Edge Realty
318-504-9925 | 504-450-2714
ALGulfCoastAgents@gmail.com
