7 Tips to Prepare Your Home for an Open House

Let’s face it. Sellers are looking to get the maximum out of their home sale. One of the best ways to showcase your property is through an open house.

An open house allows several prospective buyers to go to your home and see if it is fit for them. In some cases, sellers receive multiple offers after an open house and able to close the deal shorter than average.

You’ll want to make sure your houses is ready for showings and your open house.

Luckily, we’re here to help you. We listed seven tips to prepare your home for an open house.

Clean and Clear the Clutter

To have a successful open house, you’ll need to have a checklist.

And, speaking of the checklist, every seller is advised to declutter. You probably think your home looks fine because you’re accustomed to looking at it but to others, it might be a turn-off.

Clutter presents as poorly maintained home, which may cause buyers to think twice and ask a lot of questions.

As a general rule of thumb, you should empty 70% of your stuff and leave the 30% to emphasize the space and highlight parts of your home.

It is advisable to start decluttering the moment you consider selling your home. Pack up your decorations, photos, and books or earn money by selling some of your stuff.

The significant part is, you don’t have to pay someone to do it, you can do it yourself for free.

Decluttering might not seem too important, however, it is crucial for selling your home for the best possible price and in as little time as possible.

After you finish decluttering you’ll want to focus on cleaning. There are areas in your house that are ignored and will need a thorough cleaning. But if you don’t want to do it yourself, you can always hire a professional to do it for you.

Stage Your Home

Your open house won’t be as successful without proper staging it. Home staging usually cost about to $1000 to $5000 but you don’t have to hire a professional.  Good staging can mean anything from leasing furniture to rearranging your own furniture or be as simple as editing and removing a few pieces. 

As mentioned above, you need to leave 30% of your stuff. You can use the existing pieces to stage your house. Focus your efforts on the rooms that are most important to buyers; living room, kitchen, master bedroom, dining room, and bathrooms.

However, if you decide for cosmetic upgrades, keep it simple and fashionable. Choose the pieces of furniture that compliment the areas of your home. Then add some good lighting to top it all.

Staging will make buyers fall in love with your property because of the warm and inviting aura it emits.

Make Repairs

If you want to sell your home fast, make it look beautiful and problem-free. You’ve got to remove all the doubt from the mind of potential buyers. 

It’s time to fix that leaky faucet or slow-running drain, and replace broken window panes and burned-out light bulbs. You can take care of these items yourself or call your local area handyman. 

Eliminate these maintenance problems beforehand,

Apply a fresh coat of paint

We all want our property to look new before the open house. One of the cheapest most impact ways to impress buyers is by applying a fresh coat of paint.

However, you’ll have to choose paint colors that compliment each room. Selecting a neutral color as the choice for walls, not only will allow your buyer to cover up the color easily, it will also give your room a brighter and cleaner appearance.

With the right paint color and imagination, you can quickly change the feel of the room.

Enhance curb appeal

In open houses, it is always important to make an excellent first impression. Not everyone will have the opportunity see the interior photos of your home. You can attract them by upgrading the exterior of the property.

Small landscaping task such as cutting your grass, weeding, and pruning your shrubs can make a world of difference.

You can also power-wash the driveway and maybe add a flowerpot to your front porch.

De-Personalize

Now that your property is ready for market, you have to cut emotional ties and accept that the house once you love is now a house your selling.

Taking down family photos and your kid’s artwork on your refrigerator will help you remove a bit of your personality from the house.

And don’t forget your pets, remove their water bowls and food before the open house. Of course, you won’t get rid of them but we recommend moving them out of sight until after the open house.

Create the right vibe

With your home finally is ready for the open house, create a warm, welcoming vibe in your home. You can create the perfect setting by brightening up the space. Open the blinds, turn on all the lights, and if the weather allows may be open a few windows.

You can also bake cookies or light scented candles to put your potential buyers in the mood.

Bottom Line

An open house is an excellent opportunity to highlight your property and attract a potential buyer. Invest some time preparing and making your home as attractive and inviting as possible, and let Abraham handle the showing.

Thinking of selling your home?  Check out our 20+ step Guide to Selling Your House. Or you can contact me now to start the process immediately.  Same day appointments are available on a case by case basis. I look forward to hearing from you.

About the Author:  The above article was written by Abraham Walker, Your Northern Virginia Real Estate Agent, helping clients market their homes to achieve high sales with a quick closing time is my main priority.  He’s the co-founder of Ask A Walker and can be found on YouTube, Facebook, and HERE on this blog.

I can be reached via email at info@AskAWalker.com or by phone at (703)539-2053.  I’m happy to answer all your real estate questions.