Things you should know before you host your first open house or showing
You need to be sure that your property is in the best condition possible that will allow the buyers to see the full potential of the home. We’ve compiled a short list of tips to help you host a more successful open house or showing.
1. De-Clutter and De-Personalize
While it’s common knowledge that your home should be completely cleaned from top to bottom most people forget or don’t know to remove personal items from plain sight. This includes photos, knickknacks, religious décor and anything that just screams this is “my” home. As a buyer walks through your home they want to envision themselves and their families creating memories in the home, you want them to feel like this could be theirs in the near future. This is a great way to get the preliminary packing done and a good time to find out what things need to be sold or donated. A good rule of thumb here is if you haven’t used it in a year or more it may be time to get rid of it or pack it away; if it’s not something that you will use between now and the move pack it as well. You don’t want your home to be empty but don’t want it to be cluttered either.
Another good tip from the experts is to enter each closet in the home and take out half of the contents and pack or store them. Buyers will snoop through the cabinets and closets in the home so you want them to see these areas as having enough space for their things, emptying half the contents will allow them to see the spaces as roomy and useful.
2. Let there be Light
Make your home as bright and cheery as you can. This can be done by removing drapes, cleaning windows, trimming outdoor shrubbery and replacing light bulbs. This will allow the home to feel warm, bright and open, allowing buyers to see the full potential of each and every room.
3. Make Necessary Repairs
Keep in mind that you are selling the home and that any money you put into the home at this point may or may not come back to you at sale. Keep repairs and upgrades affordable rather than doing extravagant makeovers that may not add value to the home. This means adding fresh paint, new cabinet fixtures and door handles and checking faucets, grout and door tracks to be sure they are in working order. A lot of times it’s the little things like this that give you a leg up on the competition.
4. Kitchens Sell Homes
One of the first rooms that people will actually focus their attention on is the kitchen because people spend a lot of time there and they need to be sure it’s in working order. This is why the only remodel that experts suggest may be worth the money is in the kitchen, where you may receive around 85% of your money back. Keep in mind that this can be an expensive project that you may not need to do. Add a neutral coat of paint to room to show buyers a blank canvas that they can see potential in.
5. Keep the Pets at Bay
Last but not least, you should be sure that your pets are either with a family member or at a pet day-care the day of your open house. Not everyone is a pet person and they don’t want pet hair stuck to their clothing or to see pet dishes or litter boxes out in the open. Store these items away out of site and be sure that they are clean if they are on property because buyers will snoop. You want to present the home as cleanly as possible, remember.
*Modified sample photo. Property shown, not an actual listing.