Going Above And Beyond For Your Open House

Having an open house is a lot like speed dating. In speed dating, you only have a few minutes to make a first impression on a potential date before they move on to the next person. With an open house, many buyers will visit and may only stay a few minutes before moving on to the next showing. 

To stop them in their tracks, your home will have to make a great impression, and if you go above and beyond with a few easy steps before the big day, it will.

Depersonalize Your Home

When buyers are touring a home, they naturally try to “identify their family, children and lifestyle in the home,” said Chantay Bridges, a senior REALTOR® for Clear Choice Realty in Los Angeles. “Visualizing placing their furniture into the house switches a Looky Lou into a serious buyer.”

Give yourself at least a day to depersonalize your home. Take down family photos, pack up trophies and clean the kids’ art off the fridge. And don’t forget religious items, political affiliations or X-rated material. “More often than not, they do not appeal to the overall buyer and can be a turn-off and offensive,” Bridges said.

Clean, Clean, Clean

While most sellers know a clean place is more likely to get an offer, an exceptionally clean house can make a great impression on potential buyers. Set aside a weekend to go above and beyond a simple cleaning: Power wash the windows, mop the garage floor and scrub inside drawers and cabinets.

Before you finish, double-check these areas that Bridges says sellers commonly overlook:

• Baseboards
• Blinds
• Carpets
• Exterior areas
• Garages
• Closets
• Tops of heaters and air conditioners
• Rugs
• Bookshelves not dusted

Prep Your Backyard

While some potential buyers may only glance out the back door, others will step onto the back porch and try to envision themselves lounging outside as the sun goes down or watching their children play in the grass. To help them see this vision as a reality, spend a day cleaning your backyard. Mow the grass, pull weeds in flower bed areas, and set up an umbrella over your patio furniture to create a feeling of summer.

On the day of your open house, Bridges recommends “setting out a pitcher of lemonade and some glasses” to really sell the image of lazy summer days in the backyard.

Create a Feeling of Warmth

The day before your open house, after you’ve cleaned and readied the space, try warming things up a bit. Bridges says something as simple as “bringing in some fresh flowers or herbs” can make a living space seem homier. In the kitchen, try “setting out a bowl of fresh fruit” to brighten up the space.

And if you want to go bigger, try adding curtains to blank windows, or pillows in warm colors to sofas and beds. Having a splash of color and the softness of fabric will give a warm feeling to the whole space.

Seek Your Realtor’s Advice

Finally, don’t forget to ask your REALTOR® for advice. Your REALTOR® can combine their personal experience, the current trends and your home’s unique style to set the perfect tone for your open house.

Source: Realtor.com, article by Angela Colley