An open house is a great way to get many buyers through your door at once. The more buyers that see your house the better the chance that you will be able to get a quick sale. With multiple buyers coming through the door you want to make sure that your house makes the best impression possible.
Here are 7 tips to help you get ready for your open house.
Declutter
Most of us are guilty of accumulating a lot of clutter over the years. Therefore, one of the biggest steps you can take to prepare your house to sell is to declutter it. The less stuff that is in a room the bigger the room will look. You do not want to give buyers the impression that there is not enough storage in the house.
The best way to remedy this situation is to start cleaning your house out. Decide what items you can donate, what needs to be trashed, and if there are items you can pack away. This will make your job easier once you are getting ready to move.
Have it Professionally Cleaned
Even if you have a clean house it can help to bring in a cleaning company to do a thorough deep cleaning. We all have a tendency to overlook the same thing time and time again. A fresh set of eyes will see the areas you have been missing (like those dusty vents, or smudged light switches, and dirty baseboards).
Remove Personal Items
Pack up your family pictures and the artwork that your child made that is hanging on the fridge. It is time to turn your home into a place that another person can imagine themselves living in. Doing so means you need to remove the possessions that highlight you and your family.
Consider the Smell
We are nose-blind to the smell of our own house. Ask a trusted friend for an opinion of the smell in your house. If it could use improvement bring in neutralizing cleaners. Many times pets are responsible for the bad smell in a house.
Repair what Needs to be Fixed
Most of us have a list of small things that needs to be repaired in our house. It could be a dripping faucet or a burnt out light bulb. It does not matter how small it might seem, you need to take care of these items before bringing a lot of buyers in to look at the house.
These items will also be flagged during the home inspection, so you might as well address them before you are working with a buyer.
Spruce Up Your Curb Appeal
Buyers will form an opinion of your house before they walk in the door. For this reason it can be worthwhile to invest some time and money into your curb appeal.
Add some bright flowers to draw in the eye of the buyer. Keep your yard neat, mowed, and trimmed while your house is on the market.
Do Not be Home During the Open House
The last thing a buyer wants is to look at a house while the seller is hanging around. Your presence puts pressure on the buyer and could cause them to rush through trying to look at your house. And when you leave, don’t forget to take your pets with you.
First impressions can be the most important, so you want to make the most out of the impression your house makes. Take the time to complete these steps so you don’t risk losing out on receiving an offer at your open house. The time and money you invest into your house before it goes on the market can make all the difference.