One of the seller’s first tasks is to put on an open house when a home hits the real estate market. If you decide to sell your house without a real estate agent, then the preparation and organization of the residence are all up to you. However, if the property is listed with a real estate agent, they are the ones to tell you how to handle the whole process. Technicalities may change over the course of time, but one thing remains the same – making a good first impression.
The Driveway
The house exterior is what people first see upon arriving to your residence, thus probably an element crucial for a good first impression. Consider buying a couple of new items such as exterior door, house number, mailbox, and a garage door. Freshen up the exterior paint and landscaping, remove the cars from in front of the house, and clean the walkways and driveway.
Don’t Forget to Clean
When you have an open house, it has to be in perfect condition. You can do it by yourself, as well as hire professional house cleaner who will do the job for you. Don’t have the house open with unclean carpets and windows. The air should be fresh, devoid of the scent of tobacco smoke or anything similar. Check Air Purifier Ratings to find the best air purifier for your open home.
Deal with the Clutter
The potential buyers will have a tough job of seeing all of the home’s features if the house is stacked with too many knick knacks and pieces of furniture. It is strongly advised to move out of the residence before the house goes on the market. It will make the home as streamlined and sparse as possible.
Staging the Home with Small Touches
Small touches such as a few well-chose accessories, vases of flowers, and fresh towels in the bathroom are great if you’re living in a house. When it comes to furniture, the best advice is – less is often more. Paint the kitchen cabinets as well as wild-colored walls. Change faucets and knobs, add new hardware, and clean the refrigerator.
Lighting
Add as much light as you can, because good lighting makes the room appear larger than it is, refreshed and new. Open up all the blinds and curtains, and turn on the lights in every premise (even if the day is sunny). Make sure to debug all the light fixtures around the house.
Remove Any Personal Items
When a potential buyer walks into your home, the most important is his visualization of the home as their own. Having your personal items anywhere around can make this more difficult, so remove personal items such as your children’s drawings on the fridge and family photos. If you have any valuables there, remove and lock them up. Be smart what you will leave out, because your real estate agent can’t be in every room with every potential homebuyer at once.
Provide Essential Information
The potential buyers should leave the estate with a flyer or brochure with photographs of the house and information on comparable home sales, and your agent or you should provide them that. You don’t want them to leave with your home empty-handed, because they will probably look at many houses beside yours that day. Remembering all of them is hard, while your handout will be there keep them reminded.
