3 Tips to Get Your Home Ready for an Open House

As you are considering to put your home on the market and a ‘for sale’ sign in the yard, your realtor should suggest that you hold an open house and for good reason.

Realtor Mary Kennedy of Mary Kennedy Professional Corp., explains that open houses are a critical part of the selling process. “It's an opportunity to gain feedback about the listing directly from potential buyers,” Kennedy said. “I know a lot of realtors don't bother, but if you're energized by people and are in a learning mode, I think open houses are a great marketing tool!”

If you still aren’t sure if an open house is right for you, consider the fact that Kennedy rarely has to hold more than one. However, in order to have a successful open house, there are a few things you can do to make sure your home is open-house ready. These next three tips will get you in the right mindset and headed in the right direction.

1. Inspect the exterior – The exterior of your home is where that first impression happens. While you should most definitely do basic yard maintenance, there are simple ways to really bring the wow factor and add curb appeal. Start with the entryway to your home – the front door. Switch up the style of your door for one that better matches your home’s architecture and lets in plenty of natural light. If a new door isn’t in the budget, a fresh coat of paint can make a world of difference. Add color with window boxes and potted plants. Don’t forget to take a look at the roof and driveway as well; problems here are sure to be pointed out by a buyer, as well as their realtor, so fixing them now saves you from having to do it later and prolong the selling process.

2. Clean like you mean it – A clean home makes for a happy home, buyer, and realtor. Just about any realtor will tell you that the homeowner’s biggest responsibility is to provide them with a clean, organized, clutter-free home to show to prospective buyers. Before you start scrubbing, spend some time getting rid of the clutter. Too much stuff makes your home look less spacious, but by paring down or packing away unnecessary items, you free up closet and shelf space, which is a big deal for buyers. Once you are ready to start cleaning, set your sights on the rooms that buyers are most likely to inspect such as the kitchen, bathroom, living room, and dining room. Cleaning will take time, but these room-by-room checklists make it more manageable. When the day of the open house arrives, give your home a quick clean.

3. Let your realtor secure the sell – After the time, sweat, and money you put in adding curb appeal, cleaning and decluttering, it makes sense that you would want to be there to point out all your hard work. However, this is frowned upon.  “The homeowner's responsibility is to hand off a clean and presentable home for the realtor to show, and then leave the property for a few hours so the realtor can showcase the home to potential buyers,” Kennedy said. All family members need to be absent from the home, and this includes the furry ones, too. In theory, a cute dog sounds like a good selling point, but in reality, buyers see fur, pet damage and odor. If Fido can’t stay with you for a few hours, hire a pet sitter or board him for the day. In addition to making sure Fido is absent, clean up after him as well, including putting away all pet-related items, sweeping up fur and neutralizing odors you’ve gone nose-blind to.

Selling your home requires several steps and an open house should be one of them. Before you open the doors to your home’s next owner, spend some time boosting the exterior with curb appeal, cleaning up and making plans for all family members to be out of the house so it isn’t a mad dash on open house day. Then, trust your realtor and enjoy the ride.