When you’re selling your home, you want to make sure that as many potential buyers are able to see the house as possible. One of the best ways to make this happen is by hosting an open house.
Whether you’re moving and need to sell your home fast or just have a good real estate agent who encouraged you to do so, hosting an open house is a great way to get a lot of people to see your house in a short period of time.
Preparing your home for an open house is actually a very straightforward process, and you can avoid common seller mistakes if you know the right tips and tricks.
Make sure everything is clean and in place
The first thing you want to do is make sure all your surfaces are clean. This includes your floors and carpets, your kitchen countertops and stovetops, your bathroom cabinets and toilet, and your furniture.
You might want to hire a professional carpet cleaner for any carpeted floors or rugs. Particularly if they are stained or look especially dingy. Your home should also be organized and tidy.
Empty all your cabinets and drawers of unnecessary items. Be sure to arrange your furniture in a way that gives your home an open feel and an uncluttered look.
Don’t forget to neutralize any odors
It’s easy to overlook when it’s your own home, but every house has its own unique smell. This can be due to the age of the house, your furniture, any pets you may have, or even from your cooking habits.
This does not mean the house smells bad, but you’ll want it to smell great for your open house. While these scents become virtually unnoticeable to anyone living there, they can stand out to guests of your open house.
Simple tasks like changing the air filters in your heating and air conditioning system, strategically placing small bowls of potpourri around the house, or spraying a little air freshener can help to offset this. Essential oils can also be a good option.
Try not to use anything that has an overpowering or chemical scent. This can be just as off-putting to certain buyers as if you’d taken no steps at all to rid your house of odors. Consider lightly scented, or in some cases completely unscented products.
A neat trick realtors and homeowners have used for years when hosting an open house is having some cookies baking as the showing is about to begin. This will fill the air with the scent of freshly baked cookies. Proceed with caution though, as not everyone may share your love of chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin. And it goes without saying that you have to be extra careful not to burn them.
Don’t forget the small stuff
Whether you’ve done this all before, or are a first time home seller, it’s easy to forget that your home has all these small details that can either help or hurt your open house. Make sure you’ve removed any personal photos or items from your walls, cabinets, and shelves.
Also, clean off any knick-knacks or decorative pieces on your shelves, and make sure there are no papers or other items lying about that might distract from the important stuff.
If you have any decorative elements like rugs, curtains, or pictures that you’re not sure about, you might want to remove them. You don’t want your buyers to be distracted by them, and they might not be interested in keeping them.
Check for repairs or updates you can make before showing
Before you have an open house, it’s a good idea to make a list of all the repairs or updates your home might need.
Some things you might want to check for are small repairs, like a loose electrical outlet or a leaky faucet. While these may not seem completely necessary to have completed simply for an open house, some more detail oriented buyers will be likely to notice them.
Summing up
As you can see, preparing for an open house doesn’t have to be a big undertaking. If you keep these tips in mind, you’ll be able to make your home look as clean, tidy, and welcoming as possible.
Make sure you’re clear with your real estate agent as to when your open house will take place and how long it will go on for. They can help you decide when is the best time to host and let potential buyers know when they can stop by to see your home.
This will help you sell your home at the best rate possible and will likely make it easier to attract interested buyers.