So the day has finally come for you to open your doors to potential homebuyers. You have finished some repairs and tweaks, and you have put the “For Sale” sign outside. But hold on a second! Are you sure your home is as perfect as it can be for open house? A great first impression can easily lead to more offers, but a negative first impression can also result in low offers. So here are some things you can do right before you welcome your potential buyers on the day of a showing.
- Make Sure Your House Looks – and Smells – Clean
Cleaning seems like the most obvious thing, so make sure that everything around you is spic-and-span. Potential buyers become drawn to even the tiniest spots and stains. You may have wiped your windows and mopped your floors, but the remnants of toothpaste on your sink could easily gross out anyone. You should also wipe down surfaces and items that people would normally touch, like handrails, vases and stair banisters.
Aside from a home’s visual appeal, nothing makes a bigger impression than scent. Make sure that you diffuse any strong, musty odor by opening windows or using air purifiers. You can also consider creating comforting smells by brewing coffee or baking cookies. These smells appeal to most people and give them an idea of what their lives could be inside your home.
2. Improve the Traffic Flow
Overtime, you can get used to how bulky items are placed inside your home. For example, you can have a coat rack right bedside your bathroom because that’s practical for your family. To the eyes of your potential buyers, however, it might look like you don’t have enough space.
To improve the traffic flow of your home, walk around your place and imagine being there for the first time. This will help you re-arrange furniture and other items that result in a comfortable flow and better use of space.
3. Think Like Goldilocks
No matter what day of the year it is, your home’s temperature should be just right. Just like Goldilocks, you have to make sure that room temperatures are not too cold and not too hot. You should also make sure that lighting and noise levels are just right on the day of a showing. This means your drapes, shades or blinds must be open. You can also play pleasant, ambient sounds. Calming music in the background can do wonders for your open house.
4. Have Your Brochures Ready
On the day of your open house, you should have handouts about your home readily accessible. These handouts can be brochures with important information and attractive photos. Place them on a console table beside fresh flowers or a tray of sweets. It would be best if you put the handouts in your foyer area, so that potential buyers can pick them up when they enter or when they leave.
With these four tips in mind, you can expect some great offers by the end of your open house. So after you have made sure everything is good to go, you can open up the doors and welcome people in!
If this sounds like too much work or you’re in a time crunch and need to sell NOW, contact us today at 910-802-2222! We pride ourselves in fair offers and quick closings!