Insider Tips to Get Your Home Ready for an Open House

Your home is a piece of your heart. It is close to you and if for some reason, you decide to sell it to another, you will naturally want to get the right price for it. An open house is an excellent strategy to let people come in and view your house in its glory, and decide whether they want to make the buy or not. As a homeowner, you need to put your best foot forward and ensure that the open house is a hit. You can do that by taking these simple steps:

Ensure Your Home Is Ready to Sell:

When you go out to buy something, you always make sure that it’s in its best condition right? That’s exactly how your potential buyers think. So take a good look at your house and its elements to find out if there are things that need to be changed before you decide to put it up for sale. Keep in mind that your house’s value will increase if there are no additional repairs or replacements to be made. If there is work to be done, the buyer will expect a reduced price or extra credit to take care of it. You can hire a home inspector or appraiser to have a look at your house and let you know what needs to be fixed.

Stage Your Home Properly for the Open House:

You may think that you have no eye for interior design and that the realtor is responsible for the staging part of the open house but it’s actually the homeowner that’s essential in this step. There are some substeps that all homeowners should have a look at when staging the house:

1. Declutter space- remove the unnecessary furniture or things that are just lying around to make space look more open and breathable.
2. Organize– Make sure you organize what is leftover and place everything in just right places. For example, that couch in front of the living room window is a big no and needs to be moved.
3. Clean– Ensure cleanliness and removal of dust and dirt patches from nooks and crannies. It will make your house look great.
4. Hide/Get rid of your personal items- You want to make the house a canvas for the buyers where they imagine themselves. When you get rid of old personal items like toys and photos, you make the home look more like a potential home.

Some other tips like leaving the lights on, opening up windows, and keeping the thermostat at a cozy temperature are some tips that can go a long way in an open house.

Choose The Right Time For the Open House:

You want to ensure that the timing is right and the maximum amount of people attend the open house. Sundays are usually the best day to hold open houses since most people are off work and can fit you in your schedule. As far as the time is concerned, consider the 3-5 time slot so you can accommodate people that are viewing many properties in that one day.

Take Care of the Security:

Although open houses are all about welcoming people into your house and letting them see your space. It is not an open invitation to let people come in and use or steal your possessions. Make sure that you have an identification system for everyone that walks in so the realtors can check out to see if the right people are viewing the house.

You also need to clear the house of any medicines or valuable possessions and make sure the realtor chaperones everyone that walks in the house.

Leave:

This is pretty simple, right before the open house, you need to leave it. People will feel pressured and frustrated when the homeowner is present during the open house. They won’t be able to voice their feedback or concerns with you hovering over their shoulders.

Remember, little things matter, small details can make or break the deal when it comes to open houses. Just make sure you work with your realtor and give it your best shot. If you’re located in Cleveland, you can get in touch with one of our realtors and we can guide you through the selling process!