Open the Door to Offers: 4 Tips to Prepare Your Home for an Open House
Showing your home multiple times in a day, week, or month can become overwhelming. From making the beds and vacuuming your carpet to wiping down the mirrors and hauling your family out the door, it is easy to see the stressful nature of showing your home to potential buyers.
Showing your home in a more convenient manner is possible by having an open house. This allows potential buyers and agents to view your home during a designated period of time, ensuring you can prep your home and leave it to be seen without a great deal of stress. To improve the chances of receiving an offer during your open house, here are a few surprising tips to stage your home for buyers.
Let the Light In
Light offers many benefits. Not only does it make you feel more energized, but natural and artificial light in your home will make it look bright, happy, open, and clean.
If your windows have blinds, shutters, or shades installed, open them to allow full sunlight into the home. If curtains or drapes are covering your windows, consider removing them from the curtain rods and packing them away.
Also, remove screens from your windows to allow more sunlight into your home. Once removed, spend some time cleaning the window panes with glass cleaner and a squeegee tool.
Before you leave for the open house, flip the switch of every light in your home. This will make your home even more brighter and appealing.
De-furnish
Living in your home requires furniture. Tables, chairs, couches, beds, desks, and shelves are all put to good use. However, potential buyers will not want to squeeze themselves in between furniture while viewing your home. When staging for an open house, remember the rule that less is more.
Remove excessively large furniture pieces and place in storage while you are selling your home. Store chests, extra dining chairs, and other furniture pieces that are not actually necessary.
Placing this furniture in a storage facility will free up floor space, making your home feel and look larger and more appealing.
Fix Up Fixtures
One of the easiest ways to improve your home's appeal is by replacing outdated fixtures. In the past, nickel-plated or gold tone finishes were popular. Today, buyers prefer modern finishes, such as oil-rubbed bronze and brushed nickel.
Replacing outdated doorknobs, sink faucets, showerheads, and light fixtures with new models featuring modern designs and finishes is a simple and inexpensive way to add value to your home.
Go Outdoors
Most potential buyers want a home with an outdoor living space. Decks, porches, and patios allow homeowners to relax and entertain in a more spacious and casual manner, so do not forget to go outdoors when staging your home for the open house.
Rent or borrow a pressure washer to not only wash your home's siding, but also use to rinse away dirt, grass, and other debris from the outdoor living areas. If chipped or fading, apply a fresh coat of paint of stain to any outdoor areas. Repair broken or cracked concrete or stone patios, as well.
Furnish outdoor living areas with a table and chairs suited to the size of the space. Plant a few flowers in garden pots and arrange around the space. This will add color and texture to the space, which will make it more attractive to potential buyers.
Be sure to update even the smallest of outdoor spaces. Investing in a small bistro table and chair set is an affordable way to add enormous value.
With proper planning, organizing, and staging, your open house can be a success. Use these tips to improve your chances of getting an offer fast.