Professional tips on getting your home ready for “picture day” and when you have showings.
Before you list your home on the market, it’s a good idea to make a quick trip through just before your real estate agent arrives. When you’re selling your home, its appearance makes a measurable difference in how people view it, whether it’s online or in person. The neater and cleaner it is, the better the home comes across to buyers.
Just before the open house, make a pass through your home to check its condition by area.
Kitchen
Make sure the dishwasher is empty and the refrigerator and freezer clean and organized. The real estate agent may want to chill bottled water for people attending. Home shoppers will also open its doors, assuming you include the appliance with the house.
Make sure all the counters are free from clutter and crumbs. It’s especially important to remove personal items from the counters in a small kitchen. Put them in your trunk or a cardboard box in the garage if there’s no room elsewhere to keep them. Check the microwave and clean any spills.
Bathroom
Even though home shoppers shouldn’t use your bathrooms, treat them as if someone will. Before the agent who is selling your home arrives, be sure you hang new towels and a new roll of tissue, dump the trash can and set out a neutral air freshener.
Living Areas
Touch up the carpet by running the vacuum cleaner over it quickly or dust the floor if it’s a hard surface. Most people prefer light rooms so open the window coverings to let in the sunshine. Even though it’s preferable to use daylight for room illumination when selling your home, turn on lamps to use as accents. Do not have TV cords/cables running down the walls, make the TV look neat and tidy, even if it means not plugged in.
Dining Room
It’s helpful if the people viewing your home can envision living in it themselves. Setting the table will give them an impression of daily life. If you have an informal eating area in the kitchen or nearby, be sure to set that table too, since people are more likely to eat there than in a formal setting. A bouquet of live flowers is always an engaging touch on either or both tables.
Bedrooms
Everyone’s bedroom needs to look presentable. Be sure nothing is on the floors. Check the closets to verify that no one has jammed everything it. Open the window coverings and turn on a bed stand light. Do not have TV cords/cables running down the walls, make the TV look neat and tidy, even if it means not plugged in.
Garage
Unless there is something unique about your garage, it’s probably not necessary to move all your vehicles from it, especially if there are stains on the floor. The primary purpose behind an open house is to get people to look at it and drum up interest. Garage conditions don’t make or break too many sales so unless it’s dirty and messy, make sure it is organized and clean.
Yard
Visitors will form lasting impressions the moment they drive up to your home. Make sure that you mow the grass and the front door looks appealing. The landscaping should have something of interest like flowers to move shoppers toward the door. A landscaping service will increase your yard’s appeal when selling your home.
