10 Ways to Get Your House Ready for the Open House: A Beginner’s Guide
When you’re getting ready to sell your house, an open house is often the best way to attract prospective buyers. An open house is a time when potential buyers can tour your home, meet you and your real estate agent, and see what’s so great about this property. When you have an open house, it gives people a chance to see what you see in your home. Do you have an inviting front garden?
Do you have a cozy living room with lots of natural light? Does every room lead to another? Are all the appliances newer than 10 years old? Are there any hidden smells that might put off potential buyers? Are there any pesky little things like cobwebs or dust bunnies that need attention? An open house isn’t just about opening up your home for strangers to walk through; it’s also about giving them the best possible experience from start to finish.
Find out when your open house is scheduled
The first thing you’ll want to do is find out the date of your open house. Your real estate agent will likely let you know when he or she has scheduled your open house. It’s important to follow your agent’s recommendations; he or she knows the market and will have a good idea of what works best for your particular house.
Your agent also likely has experience with open houses and knows what it takes to make your home attractive to buyers. Your agent may even have tips to make your house look its best for the open house.
Declutter
If there’s one thing that will make or break your open house, it’s clutter. Clutter creates an uncomfortable environment for people to walk through. It can also be a distraction and make your home look smaller than it actually is. Before you host your open house, take a few hours to tidy up. Go room by room and make sure every surface is clear, every closet is organized, and every nook and cranny is neat and tidy.
Organize your garage and basement or storage areas. And declutter your closets and drawers. Your real estate agent might even recommend hiring a professional organizer to help you with decluttering. If you have children or pets, make sure there are places for their toys and things. The last thing you want is a dangerous toy to be tripping up a potential buyer or their child.
Pull the drapes and lighten up
When people walk into your home, they’ll first notice the light. So make sure the light coming through your windows is inviting. During an open house, you can pull the drapes to make your home look more spacious and cozy.
If you have heavy drapes, though, they can make your home feel smaller and darker. So, before your open house, open up the drapes to let in some light. And if your drapes are dark or heavy, replace them with lighter drapes like sheers.
Touch up paint
If you have any rooms in your home that are painted a less-than-ideal color, this might be the perfect time to repaint. You can paint a room or two before your open house, and the new paint will make a big difference.
You don’t have to paint the whole house, though; one or two rooms will do the trick. Make sure you have plenty of paint on hand, though. You don’t want to have to run to the store the night before your open house while the paint is drying on the walls.
Freshen up your bathrooms
A clean and fresh-smelling bathroom is a simple way to make your house feel more inviting. Whether you’re trying to de-stress after a long day, or just want to feel rejuvenated, a good shower and scrubbing down can do wonders for your mood. Not to mention, having a clean bathroom will help keep your family healthy by keeping bacteria and germs at bay.
Clean up the bathroom as soon as you come home from work every day so that it’s fresh when you get in there. Make sure that everything is clean, including all of the surfaces. Keep the soap dispenser filled up with fresh soap and the shower curtain closed unless you’re actually taking a shower. Also, take extra care when cleaning the toilet seat so that you don’t end up making a mess while sitting on it!
Potential buyers will likely visit your bathrooms during an open house. Make sure they’re clean, tidy, and stocked with fresh towels. The last thing you want is for someone to visit your bathroom and be greeted with a foul smell. Buy a few cheap air fresheners and place them in your bathrooms.
Organize the kitchen and pantry.
Your kitchen is likely the most-used room in your home. So, if there’s one room in your house that needs to be in tip-top shape for your open house, this is the room. Make sure your kitchen is clean, tidy, and uncluttered. You should also remove any dirty dishes from the dishwasher and clean out the inside of your fridge.
Change the batteries in your smoke detector
While you’re cleaning up around the house, make sure that your smoke detectors are up to date with fresh batteries. Most smoke detectors have a change-the-batteries date stamped on the back. Make sure yours are up to date, and that they’re working properly. You don’t want to take any chances with fire safety, and having up-to-date smoke detectors will give you peace of mind.
Tidy up the basement or storage areas.
Potential buyers will likely visit your basement or storage areas during an open house. So make sure they’re tidy and organized. This is also a good time to clear out the clutter that might be hiding in your basement or storage areas. If you have old furniture, broken appliances or other items that don’t serve any purpose, get them out of your house. You don’t want potential buyers to see them and think you’re a hoarder. Make sure your basement or storage areas have good lighting and make sure they’re easy to navigate.
Conclusion
Your house is likely one of the biggest financial investments you’ll make in your lifetime. So when you’re ready to sell it, it’s important that you get it ready for the open house. An open house is a great way to show off what you love about your home. An open house also gives potential buyers a chance to see what it’s like to live in your home. Before you host your open house, make sure your home is ready to go. From decluttering to repainting, there are lots of ways you can get your house ready for the open house. If you follow these tips, you’ll have a successful open house. And you might just find a buyer who loves your home just as much as you do.