It’s common to hear that first impressions don’t matter, but when it comes to selling your home, first impressions matter…a lot!
From the home's exterior upon driving up to first walking in, first impressions are being made. In fact, the proverbial 'book' (aka your house) is being judged by its cover (aka its exterior).
If a good first impression is not made, your home may not sell as quickly as you want or need it to, and you may be getting a lower price than you had hoped for.
So, in addition to finding a fabulous and experienced real estate agent to help you sell your house, getting your home ready for an open house or private showing is key. This will help ensure that your home shows better (which means people can better envision themselves living in the home and adapting it to their own wants and needs) so that it sells faster and for the best price.
If you’re reading this blog post and just happen to be selling your home, or you're thinking of selling your home and are wondering, how should I prepare for an open house?, this blog post is a great resource and it's jam-packed with lots of tips.
Here are 10 Tips for Preparing for an Open House or Showing:
Tip #1: Curb Appeal Matters
- Paint your front door (and screen door) to brighten it up. If either are in rough shape, consider replacing. This will help make your home not only look more welcoming, but also safe. Also replace any torn or hole-ridden screens.
- Update your house numbers – there are so many cool options ranging from traditional to script that lights up.
- Update outdoor light fixtures.
- Clean window exteriors.
- Put out a welcome mat or a decorative welcome sign.
- Hang an inviting wreath on the door.
- Include a seasonal planter with fresh or fake foliage.
- Update your mailbox or paint it to freshen it up.
- Crunched for time? No problem! Here are tips for How to Improve Your Home Exterior in as Little as an Hour.
Tip #2: Make It Bright
- Light-filled rooms are appealing so open drapes, curtains, and blinds. In some rooms, consider removing them to let full light shine through.
- Make sure windows and mirrors are sparkling clean.
- If you have lots of foliage outside your windows, consider trimming them so that they don’t block natural light.
- In rooms with little to no windows, make sure that the lighting present is sufficient.
- Increase light bulb wattage to further brighten up a space.
- Replace lampshades with ones that shine more brightly.
- Make sure that all light fixtures work and have functional light bulbs in them.
- Turn on all the lights in your home, even during the day. This includes all closets, basement, attic, or crawl spaces, and even the outside entrance.
Tip #3: It's Time to Deep Clean!
- Dust until you cannot dust any more…and don’t forget ceiling fans and vent covers, which are notorious for collecting dust.
- Clean baseboards with warm soapy water and use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to remove scuff marks with ease.
- Mop and polish the floors so they shine.
- Clean all windows and wipe down the windowsills.
- Wipe all mirrors so they are free of fingerprints and water stains.
- Wipe down walls and cabinets, especially in the kitchen and bathrooms.
- Wipe down walls, especially in high traffic areas or areas where kids frequent.
- Clean and disinfect every inch of the kitchen, including the sink and appliances, which can get pretty grimy. And don’t forget the backsplash – prospective buyers don’t need to see dried up tomato sauce speckled all over it.
- Scrub-a-dub-dub the bathrooms, paying special attention to toilets, sinks, tiles, shower stalls, and tubs. Consider replacing the toilet seat if it looks like it has seen better days.
- Vacuum and steam clean all carpets and rugs so that they look good and smell great!
- Consider investing in professional cleaners for a few hours to help get your house in immaculate condition.
Tip #4: Declutter & Depersonalize
The goal when you’re selling your home, and having an open house, is to show your home, not your own belongings. This means that the items in your home during an open house are those that help create a warm, welcome, and inviting space, where a prospective buyer can still imagine their space as their own (and the potential it has). Since nothing is off limits for potential buyers during an open house it’s important to depersonalize, declutter and organize like you mean it.
- We have lots of tips for decluttering, including tips for how to declutter on a dime.
- Consider renting a storage unit from a local self-storage facility like Storage Solutions. We have flexible contracts so you can rent for as little or long as you need. Our storage units are perfect for your clutter, knickknacks, furniture, etc. It’s also handy to have when you’re getting ready to move as you can pack up your home and store the boxes in your storage until you’re ready to move into your new home.
- Rent a storage unit or portable pod for extraneous pieces of furniture or knick knacks.
- Focus on visible areas first like your counters, tables, walls, open shelving, and furniture. Put away your DVD collection of 80s movies, family photos (frames and albums), kids’ artwork, memorabilia, collections, knick knacks, and keepsakes.
- Focus on non-visible areas like cupboards, drawers, and closets – they will be looked through so the cleaner and more organized they are, the better.
- For closets, they show better (and look larger) when they are half-empty.
- Rearrange the remaining furniture in your home to help make your rooms look larger.
Tip # 5: Hide Your Valuables
- Whether it’s your antique jewelry, priceless sports memorabilia, artwork, trophies & awards, prized collections, or expensive electronics, keep them out of sight during your open house.
- If you do not have a safe place to store them at home during an open house, consider storing them with a trusted family member or friend, or in a secure self-storage unit.
Tip #6: Get Handy or Get a Handyman
- It’s important for your house to not only look good, but also not be coming apart as people tour it during an open house. If handles or knobs literally come off as people open and close a cabinet or door, they are more likely going to turn around and leave. And, for those that are still interested in buying your home, the more stuff that looks or is broken, can result in a lower offer, or no offer.
- Fix whatever needs to be fixed including leaking taps and faucets, squeaks in the floor, creaky off-hinge cabinet doors, missing hardware in drawers and cupboards, broken door knobs, ripped screens, broken light fixtures, holes and cracks in walls, etc.
- Here are some ways you can improve your home’s interior in as little as an hour.
Tip #7: Paint The Walls
- Painting your home to prepare for an open house can really freshen it up, brighten it up, and also help cover up imperfections, especially those stains and scuffs that no amount of scrubbing can get rid of.
- A new coat of paint can also make your home look larger. Check out these tips for how to paint your rooms bigger.
- When selecting the paint colour, stick to as many neutral tones like whites, light grays, and light beiges as possible.
Tip #8: Inspire & Appeal to The Senses
- Set out fresh flowers throughout the house.
- Brighten up your rooms with plants.
- Create a relaxing sound by quietly playing easy listening music on the radio or smart speaker.
- Have a fireplace? Light a fire or turn it on.
- Put out lightly scented candles (don't light them).
- Use air neutralizer sprays or plugins that release a subtle, gentle scent. Keep the smell consistent through the home.
- Hang decorative hand towels in the bathrooms.
- Set out decorative, colour coordinating dishcloths, and towels in the kitchen.
- Stage place settings on the island counter, dinner table or dining table.
Tip #9: Pets & Their Stuff
- If possible, do not leave your pets at home during your open house. In addition to people having allergies, not everyone loves pets, and this may turn them off your home. If you cannot bring your pet with you, ask a friend or neighbour to watch them or check them into a pet hotel for some short-term boarding.
- Put away your pet’s dishes, toys and bedding.
- Move the cat’s litter box to the garage or shed.
- Vacuum up pet air as much as possible…we know - it’s never-ending and everywhere!
Tips #10: Stage Your Home
- Ask any real-estate expert and they will tell you that staging your home can help it sell faster and also for more money – double win!
- Depending on the market, your home, your budget, your timeline and mostly your skillset, you may want to hire a professional stager or stage your home yourself.
Prepare for an Open House or Showing with Storage Solutions Self-Storage!
Many of our customers at Storage Solutions use a self-storage unit to help them sell their home, prepare for an open house, and ultimately, to simplify the moving process. Why? Because when you’re selling your home, your house needs to always be in tip-top "show-ready” shape. This can be tough when you live in your house at the same time as listing it, but it can be done. Here are tips for how to live in your house while you list it.
You can check out our sizing & pricing page to help you figure out the right sized storage unit to rent, and for added convenience visit our YouTube channel to watch online tours of Milton self-storage facility, Woodstock self-storage facility, Ayr self-storage facility and our New Hamburg self-storage facility. We also have mini tour videos of the different sizes and types of storage units we have for rent.
Have questions about self-storage or want to rent a storage unit? Email, text or call us! You can also rent 24/7 online through our website. We make renting self-storage easy, convenient, and quick!
We hope you find these tips useful and helpful in preparing your home for an open house. For more helpful tips & tricks, advice, or a good laugh, keep up with our blog and like or follow us on Instagram & Facebook.
Good luck at your open house. We wish you a speedy sale!
Your friend in self-storage,
Storage Solutions
