Congratulations! You decided to sell your old home and move into a new one! This is a big undertaking. Perhaps the most important part is showcasing your home to potential buyers. This is best accomplished through hosting an open house. Hosting an open house can seem a bit daunting, but if you take your time, you can do it! In fact, here are several things you can do to get your home ready for an open house.
Staging
Make sure your home is staged correctly. This means you want your home to look like something a visitor wants to call home right away. Make sure your furniture is set up in a way an average person would want to see. Make sure there are beds and dressers in each bedroom. Make the dining room look warm and inviting. You want your home to look as appealing as possible. If you’re not sure if your furniture or your furniture layout is appealing to the average person, your realtor can help you!
Get Those Photos Right
Double and triple check any online photos of your house. Many people will skip an open house if the pictures seem dark or unappealing. If your photos are great, make sure your home actually matches the photos on the big day. You don’t want people to feel disappointed or mislead.
Simplify
Del-co Realty Group, Inc. said, “Remove any unnecessary objects from your home.” This means removing clutter from your kitchen. Remove extra dishes from cupboards and obscure kitchen gadgets from shelves. Remove as much as you can from storage areas, and thin out the clothing in closets. Take the time to remove unneeded items from your home office. Remember, people want to see a home that is ready for someone to begin living in right away. People do not want to feel like they are observing a used house that is already occupied.
Clean, Clean, Clean
You can never have your home be too clean for an open house. Clean in areas people don’t generally see. Remember, people will be inspecting all parts of your home. This means you should wipe clean the insides of cupboards, dust every window ledge, and clean every bathroom corner. If you can afford it, a local cleaning service might be the best way to go.
Advertise
Get the word out about your open house. Advertise in local papers, post a sign in your yard, and get the word out on social media platforms. You want tons of people to show up on the big day! Remember, if plenty of people are there, buyers will sense competition is in the air. This will decrease the amount of time it takes to get an offer, and offers will tend to be higher as buyers attempt to outbid each other.
Showcase The Area
Is your home located in a fantastic school district? Are their museums, parks, or great restaurants nearby? If you have any of these, don’t be shy about advertising these perks. Set up a small table that showcases these features. Don’t be afraid to put the information on a separate flyer potential buyers can take home.
Be Welcoming
The people visiting your home are technically your guests. Make your home feel welcoming by offering some type of refreshment. However, never offer anything that makes it feel like a party. Many times, a simple table of bottle water with a designated recycling bin will do.
Security
Never forget that hundreds of strangers will be strolling through the most intimate areas of your home. This means you need to thoroughly remove any valuables from the home. Remove all medicines from bathroom cabinets. You also might want to strongly consider removing family photos and replacing them with generic ones. Remember, there have been known instances of people who frequent open houses for nefarious reasons. This is very rare, but you want to thoroughly protect yourself just in case.
Finally, don’t forget to relax and enjoy the open house. Remember, if your home doesn’t sell after your open house, you can always tweak your approach and throw another one. Remember, there is a buyer out there for every house. You just need to make sure your open house helps find that person!
