Preparing Your Home for an Open House: 7 Top Tips for Making a Lasting Impression
Make a lasting impression at your open house with these 7 essential tips for preparing your home and attracting potential buyers.
When it comes to preparing your home for an open house, first impressions are everything. Potential buyers and their agents come to the open house to decide if they can envision themselves living in your home and if it meets their requirements. How can you increase the odds of a sale?
Make sure your home is properly staged, clean, and inviting. This is essential for a successful open house and making a lasting impression. To help you through the process, here are some top tips for preparing your home for an open house.
Make any Necessary Repairs
An open house is a perfect opportunity to get your home in tip-top shape, from ensuring there are no empty toilet paper rolls in the bathrooms to removing personal items that might be lying around. If you have repairs before the open house, make sure you don't wait until the last minute. And that paint job you've been meaning to do? Now's the time.
Get out a brush and paint -- you'll be amazed at the transformation you can achieve with a little elbow grease. If you don't have the time or inclination to do it yourself, plenty of professionals can help get the job done in no time.
Add Some Decorative Pieces
You want your home to make a great impression when people come over to check it out. It doesn't take much—decorative touches don't have to be extravagant or overdone. Small, simple additions can go a long way. For example, placing a nice looking bright plant on the dining table or adding a clean/dirty dishwasher magnet to your dishwasher can give your space a more clean and welcoming vibe.
Taking the time to make your home visually appealing can also help attract potential buyers. When people walk through a home that feels thoughtfully put together, it becomes easier for them to envision themselves living there. These small yet effective details can make a big difference in creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that visitors will enjoy.
Clean, Clean, and Then Clean Some More
You might have heard the saying, "cleanliness is next to godliness." Well, if you want your home to show well and sell quickly, cleanliness is a must. That means no clutter anywhere. Get rid of anything that's not essential in each room, and then give everything else a thorough cleaning.
Don't forget the bathroom. It's surprising how many homeowners don't clean their bathrooms before putting their homes on the market. Buyers are looking for signs that the homeowners care about their property: good-looking bathrooms are one sign of this caring attitude (along with clean kitchens).
Clean all surfaces -- floors and carpets included -- and get rid of any noticeable stains or discoloration by scrubbing them out or covering them with area rugs where possible (or both).
Clean the windows inside and out: wash window screens and blinds thoroughly; wipe down exterior sills; wash exterior doors; make sure there aren't any cobwebs hanging from ceiling fans or light fixtures.
Declutter, but Don't Overdo It
Before you start decluttering, make sure your home is in order. If it isn't, focus on making it presentable for buyers before tackling any cleaning or organizing projects.
If you're planning on selling your home soon, decluttering can help make your house look bigger and more spacious, which is great if you're hoping to attract potential buyers looking for a spacious place to raise their families. But don't go overboard with the purging process, making your home look too austere.
Once everything has been tidied up, take some time out of every day to go through each room individually and all common areas, such as entryways and kitchens/dining rooms. Take down pictures from walls; remove knickknacks; move bookshelves around so they're facing the right way; put away toys in children's bedrooms; etc.
Make sure everything looks neat and tidy while still representing its owner. You want potential buyers to get an accurate sense of what kind of life exists within these walls, without getting overwhelmed by how much stuff may be hiding behind closed doors.
Do Some Landscaping and Curb Appeal Projects
The outside of your house is the first thing buyers see. Ensure it's inviting. Consider adding a few new potted plants to your front yard and/or planting flowers or shrubs. Trim bushes, trees, and hedges to keep them looking their best. Remove dead leaves and plants from the yard (but don't burn them -- keep them out of the way so they don't attract critters).
Make sure all window frames shine bright with fresh paint and replace any broken glass panes before showtime. Ensure your front door is clean and well-lighted at night so it looks inviting.
Maximize Natural Light with Window Treatments
If you have a room with many windows, consider using light colors on the walls and floor to reflect the natural light. This will make the room feel larger, brighter, and more open.
If you have a smaller room, curtains and blinds can help control how much light comes into a room. You can also use varying degrees of opacity in your window treatments, so you can adjust them as needed, depending on the time of day or mood you're going for in your space.
Replace Outdated Fixtures and Appliances Where Necessary
Replace outdated fixtures and appliances where necessary. If you have an old microwave or your dishwasher is on its last legs, consider replacing them before they become a distraction while potential buyers are touring your home.
Replace broken or missing light switches. Even if the lights work, moving furniture around to get to them can be annoying for potential buyers interested in seeing every corner of your house.
Replace old faucets and showerheads. This may seem small, but if you're spending hours getting ready for showings, it can feel big indeed. Plus, upgrading these things can help increase the perceived value of your home by giving it a brand-new look without breaking the bank.
Replace worn or stained carpets or rugs. Clean up any dirt that has accumulated on hardwood floors by mopping them with warm water mixed with just enough vinegar (so there's no more than one tablespoon per gallon of water) and then rinse off after about five minutes.
Keep Your Home at the Right Temperature During Showings
You don't want to be dripping with sweat while showing your home, so keep the temperature comfortable. Turn off lights and appliances not in use. If the outside air is warmer than inside, close windows and doors to keep the house cool.
Conclusion
Staging your home is a lot of work, but it can make all the difference for buyers. Staging helps sell your home faster and takes less time on the market, so you'll get more money while avoiding getting stuck with a home no one wants.
The best part is that even if you don't get an offer on the first showing, you know that you did everything possible to make your home as attractive as possible.