They always say that you never get a second chance at a first impression and never has this been more true or important than when showing your home to a prospective buyer. As Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking states, people make snap decisions all the time, often before they know they have even made them. Even before a buyer steps into your home, they are already making decisions at the speed of thought and once made, can be very difficult to change. Because of this rapid response that most people have to their surroundings, you, the seller need to be extra certain that the split-second decision a buyer makes is a favorable one. To help with this, we have compiled a list of tips that will help you with Preparing Your Home for an Open House.
Curb Appeal
One of the most important factors to selling your home is curb appeal, it is the buyers first impression of your home. The number of prospective buyers that are put off by an untidy lawn each year is astounding. The idea of a white picket fence and a tidy yard in culturally ingrained and more important than you may think. Make sure to catch up on those outdoor chores.
Get Rid of the Clutter
A cramped, crowded, and unkempt place will drive away buyers faster than anything else. When someone enters your home, it should feel spacious, airy, and bright. If they have to maneuver around tables of clutter, they will be instantly put off. Remember that they will also be opening every door in the house, so stuffing knick-knacks into closets is a huge No-No.
Personal Photos
Photos definitely give the home a personal touch, but you don’t want it to be your personal. The buyer should feel a connection with the home and it can be difficult to do that with someone else’s pictures on the wall. Replace family photos with tasteful generic paintings from a local furnishing store. Where tasteful, place mirrors in the room to make the room look larger and brighter.
Personal Items
Now that you have removed the general clutter, it’s time to move on to other personal items. Remember that attracting a buyer means that you will have stranger roaming through your house. For safety’s sake, remove or lock up dangerous or expensive items such as firearms, pharmaceuticals, and jewelry, especially if your agent will be showing your home when you are out.
Drywall / Paint
If you haven’t done so already, now is the perfect time to grab some paint and drywall patch kits from your local home improvement store. These kits are inexpensive, easy to use, and will cover unsightly blemishes. Paint areas that need attention, if you don’t have any spare paint, bring a sample into your local hardware store, they have the technology to get you a perfect paint match.
Illumination
Every home is at its best when properly lit. When preparing your home for an open house, make sure that every light in the house is on, drapes are open, and the blinds are all the way up. Potential home buyers will turn lights off and on as well while getting a feel for the place, but the first bright impression will still last.
Odors
Over the years, you have become inured and immune to the smells of daily living in your house and that can add just as personal a touch as pictures. Have a friend or your agent walk through the house and tell you where odors are strongest. Afterwards, Febreeze and candles are your friends since they will give the house a pleasant all-purpose smell. If nothing else, bake a tray of cookies and leave them out for prospects to enjoy.
Honey-Do’s
With the inside taken care of, now it’s time to move outside and take care of all those projects you’ve been putting off. Take some time and update your project list then spend a weekend or two clearing off the list. People can see little problems with houses on a subconscious level and will shy away from a place that presents a laundry list of issues.
Ask for Help When Preparing Your Home for an Open House
Have your True Performance Real Estate Agent look over your home before you decide to start showing it. We can point out the little problems that you may miss and can give advice to help you accentuate the pros of the house while diminishing the cons. At the end of the day, we are here to help you sell your home.
The sale of your home is a huge undertaking that requires many steps to do well. While these tips should be at the top of your To-Do list there may be others, depending on your home, that your True Performance Real Estate Agent is more than willing to help with.
Feel free to call True Performance Real Estate today and ask any questions you might have about Preparing Your Home for an Open House.
Call: 303-317-6311