How to Prepare For an Open House: A Step-by-Step Guide
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It’s official. You’ve listed your home for sale and now it’s time to open up your doors and welcome potential buyers into your home. But, before you do that, there’s some preparation to do first. If you’re wondering about how to prepare for an open house, we’ve got you covered!
In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to do to get your home ready for an open house, step by step. Trust us, following these tips will help make sure your open house is successful!
A Clean Space = Happy Buyers
The first step to take when preparing for an open house is, you guessed it, cleaning! This means giving your home a good, deep clean from top to bottom. Not only will this make your home look its best, but it will also help create a welcoming and inviting atmosphere.
De-Clutter Your Home
The next step in preparing your home for an open house is to declutter each room. This means removing any personal items, such as family photos, knick-knacks, and collections. You want potential buyers to be able to envision themselves living in your home, and that’s difficult to do when your personal belongings are on display.
In addition to decluttering each room, you’ll also want to:
- Dust all surfaces, including ceiling fans, light fixtures, baseboards, and door frames
- Vacuum all carpets and rugs
- Wash all windows (inside and out)
- Clean all bathrooms (toilets, showers, sinks, mirrors)
- Sweep and mop all floors
- Wipe down all appliances
- Empty all trash cans
- Check for damage or wear and tear and make any necessary repairs
- Pack away any non-essentials
- Clear off countertops and tabletops
- Put away any excess furniture (less is more!)
- Arrange furniture in a way that makes it easy for people to move about the room
- You may want to consider hiring a professional home stager
Depersonalize Your Home
As we mentioned earlier, you want potential buyers to be able to envision themselves living in your home. That’s why it’s important to depersonalize your space before an open house. This means removing any personal items, such as family photos, knick-knacks, and collections. You also want to neutralize your decor by removing any bright colors or patterns.
Some other things you can do to depersonalize your home include:
- Painting walls in neutral colors
- Replacing bold light fixtures with more subdued ones
- Hiding personal items away in storage
- Make sure all rooms are well-lit
Planning Out the Specifics
Now that your home has a fresh, new look, it’s time to start thinking about the specifics of your open house. This includes things like:
- When to have your open house
- How to promote your open house
- Who will be hosting your open house
- What amenities to offer at your open house
Let’s take a closer look at each of these.
When to Have Your Open House
The best time to have an open house is on the weekend, preferably Saturday or Sunday. This gives potential buyers the chance to come and see your home without having to worry about taking time off from work.
If you’re worried about people coming into your home during the week, you can always have a “ Open House” on the weekdays. These are events that are only open to real estate agents and usually don’t require as much preparation on your part.
How to Promote Your Open House
Once you’ve decided when to have your open house, it’s time to start promoting it! There are a few different ways you can do this, such as:
- Putting up signs around your neighborhood
- Listing your open house on websites like Zillow and Redfin
- Promoting your open house on social media
- Sending out postcards or flyers to people in your area
Who Will Be Hosting Your Open House?
Now that you’ve got the when and how of your open house figured out, it’s time to start thinking about who will be hosting it. Typically, the sellers are not present during an open house. This is because potential buyers feel more comfortable asking questions and checking out the home without the sellers being there.
If you’re not comfortable with having strangers in your home without you being there, you can always hire a professional home stager or real estate agent to host your open house for you.
What Amenities to Offer at Your Open House
Finally, you’ll need to decide what amenities to offer at your open house. This can include things like refreshments, tours of the home, and informational packets about the property.
Offering refreshments and snacks is a great way to make potential buyers feel welcome in your home. It’s also a good opportunity to promote your home by putting out snacks that are representative of your community (e.g., local craft beer, wine from a nearby vineyard, etc.).
Giving tours of the home is another great way to make potential buyers feel comfortable. You can give tours yourself or hire a professional to do it for you.
Informational packets are also a good idea, as they give potential buyers something to take with them when they leave. These packets can include things like your home’s floor plan, a list of features and amenities, and contact information for your real estate agent.
Creating a Welcoming Atmosphere
Once you’ve decluttered, depersonalized, and made a solid plan, it’s time to focus on creating a welcoming atmosphere. This means making sure each room looks inviting and warm. Some things you can do to create a welcoming atmosphere include:
- Opening all curtains and blinds
- Turning on all lights (even if it’s daytime)
- Putting out fresh towels in the bathrooms
- Setting the table with attractive place settings
- Putting out fresh flowers or bowls of fruit
- Playing soft, relaxing music in the background
- Make sure the temperature is comfortable
- Make sure there are no unpleasant smells in the air
- Using an air freshener, as long as it is not too strong
Wrapping It Up
Even though your real estate agent will do a lot to help you prepare for your open house, there are still a few things you’ll need to do on your own. By following the tips in this article, you can make sure your open house goes off without a hitch!
If you’re just starting your home selling journey, let FastExpert help! We can connect you with experienced real estate agents in your area who can help you through the entire process, from start to finish.
