How to Prepare for Showings & Open Houses

You want your home to show well. Better than well. The BEST it possibly can. You have plenty of competition, so having your home in its best condition is very important. Open houses are typically planned well in advance, meaning you’ll have plenty of time to prepare for it. However, the window of opportunity may be very small to expose your home to a motivated buyer.  So each time you leave your house, make sure it’s ready for an unexpected showing.

To prepare, think about what it’s like to walk through a model home.  What are the techniques used? Or, what if you’re receiving an honored guest into your home? How would you like for it to look upon their arrival? You want potential buyers to walk in and to be able to see all the possibilities your home can offer.  Stage your home accordingly.

Help buyers see all the space your home can offer by eliminating ALL clutter.

You want as much light into your home as possible. Turn on the lights and open up all of your curtains.

Give your home a welcoming feel.  You can accomplish this by setting out a vase of fresh flowers, filling candy dishes, and lighting the fireplace in the winter time.

The previous suggestions were general in nature. Those are things you’d do throughout your home to improve its overall showing performance.  Now let’s break down the different rooms in your house and discuss how you can improve make each one show to its full potential.

Kitchen:

• Make sure all of your dishes are put away.
• Of course – make sure it’s CLEAN.
• Showcase counter space by keeping all kitchen appliances (toasters, blenders, etc.) put away in a cupboard.
• Consider baking cookies and setting them out for a nice welcoming feel. Filling your kitchen with delicious smells can never hurt!

Dining Room:

• Set a nice centerpiece on the table.
• Set the table.

Bathrooms:

• Clean bathroom and wipe down all surfaces.
• Fill tissue supply.
• Set out clean, fluffy towels.

Bedrooms:

• Make beds.
• Put clothes and toys away.
• Make sure closets are neat & well-organized.

It may seem a little overwhelming to think that you’d have to have this done every time you leave the house.  But if you do all of your major de-cluttering just prior to listing your home for sale, all you’ll have to do is maintain the space and it will be much less intimidating to accomplish.

Happy Selling!

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