Your house has been checked, inspected, and cleaned from top to bottom. You have priced it at what you feel is a fair price. The marketing and advertising program is in full swing. Now it is time to put all of the preparation into action: showings!

Although showing your house may sometimes be inconvenient, your house should always be available for show. Allow your agent to put a lock box in a convenient place to make it easy for other agents to show your home to prospective buyers. If agents have to schedule appointments in order to show your home, they may just skip your home to show the house of someone who is more cooperative.

Most agents will call and give you a couple of hours notice before showing your property. Below are several tips to keep in mind for when an agent and potential buyers are on their way to your house!

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• Open every window covering. All drapes, curtains and blinds should be positioned to let in maximum light. Buyers like a house to be "light and bright," so accommodate them! Turn on as many lights as possible.

• Make sure the house smells good. Baking cookies, often recommended, may be overdoing it, but pet odors, smoke, or greasy cooking odors definitely will not work! Air out the house just before the scheduled showing, but close the windows (unless it is a perfect day) before they arrive.

• Six very important words: no clutter, no clutter, no clutter!

• Make sure that everything is spotless. Pay particular attention to the bathrooms and the kitchen. In the bathrooms, towels should be fresh and clean, sinks and baths scrubbed, and the floor freshly cleaned. In the kitchen, make sure all dishes are put away and countertops and sinks cleaned

• Check the thermostat to make sure that the house is at a comfortable temperature.

• Remove pets from the house, or at least, keep them outside. Pets under foot will quickly put a damper on an otherwise positive showing.

• Make sure Fact Sheets are available and easily accessible. (The dining room table is an ideal place for them).

• If you are using an Agent, leave! If this is not possible, make yourself as inconspicuous as possible. If it is comfortable outside, go there until the buyers leave. If you are selling on your own, of course, you don't have this luxury. If this is the case, be as helpful as you can but don't crowd the buyers.