Preparing Your Home for an Open House

If you’re looking to sell your home, and want to give optimal exposure, hosting an open house is the answer. These events allow you to invite potential buyers into your home over a few hours on a specific day. If deployed correctly, open houses can benefit both buyers and sellers. Here are some tips to get you started, courtesy of Modern Real Estate.

Curb Appeal

Take a look at the outside, and see what you can do to enhance your home’s curb appeal. Easy and affordable ways of improving the appearance of the front of your home include:

• Painting your front door
• Maintaining the lawn
• Ensuring your windows sparkle
• Cleaning your gutters
• Adding outdoor lighting
• Taking care of any repairs
• Upgrading your house numbers
• Updating your mailbox
• Adding window boxes

Decluttering

Decluttering is an essential part of staging a home if you want it to look appealing to potential buyers during viewings and in photos. One way of storing small and large items while adding an element of decor to your home at the same time is to use bins emblazoned with eye-catching labels. Using this method to store items also ensures they’re kept organized during the whole process of moving. 

Focus on Specific Rooms

When staging your home, focus on the three rooms that are more likely to influence a buyer’s decision:

• The living room. Remove any personal items and photos. Have carpets professionally cleaned and use neutral colors on the walls. Add some plants, fresh flowers, and maybe some wall art.
• Master bedroom. Avoid using a themed bedroom. Make it neutral using simple, modern furniture. Remove any towels, toiletries, and other personal items if you have an en-suite. Remove items from closets, so buyers can fully see the room’s storage potential. Also, adding some wallpaper or fresh paint can give your walls an elegant touch.
• Office. Ironically, the things that make your office look the most appealing are also the things that will facilitate productivity and a stress-free environment when you’re there: good lighting, ergonomic furniture, and a lack of clutter. 
• Kitchen. Make sure your kitchen is spotless and freshly painted. Update or upgrade appliances to stainless steel. You can also add a range hood to improve air quality. Ensure all the drawers and cabinets are free of clutter to emphasize storage space. Your countertops should be clear aside from some fresh flowers and a fruit bowl.

Out of Darkness Cometh Light

If, after opening your windows, your home still lacks enough natural light, you can make sure it remains well lit by following a few simple techniques:

• Rearrange the furniture. Move your couch by the window in summer. Replace heavy curtains with blinds, and install a mirror on the wall opposite the window.
• Paint the walls. Use a soft shade of white and paint the ceiling somewhat lighter to create the illusion of height and space.
• Use the floor to reflect light. Polished wooden or stone floors reflect more light than carpets. If you prefer carpet, opt for a neutral color.
• Use artificial light. Floor lamps or wall lights help illuminate areas that struggle to attract natural light.

A Little Goes a Long Way

A coat of fresh paint on your front door, adding some attractive wallpaper to your bedroom, emptying the contents of your closets in the bedroom, and having your carpets professionally cleaned can change a person’s perspective of your home during an open house event.

Modern Real Estate is a brokerage established with agents in mind. Providing systems, processes, technology, transactional support, marketing strategies, and the very best training available. Every Realtor at Modern Real Estate has everything they need to perform and exceed any other agent in our industry.  Reach out today to get started!