If you really want to attract potential buyers to your home, an open house can work wonders. Unfortunately, many homeowners do not always stage the home to look as inviting as it should before allowing people inside to have a look. Follow these tips to prep for your next open house.
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Get rid of clutter.
Obviously, you want to clean up before strangers come inside your home, but there is more to it than mopping and dusting. Start packing up some of your belongings and put them in storage or even use the opportunity to get rid of them. Maybe your walk-in closet is filled with clothing and shoes. Put the ones you don’t wear or the ones that are out of season away. Move furniture that takes up too much space and put away your knickknacks. Clean out the kitchen cabinets. Let buyer see the home’s space and storage potential.
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Make it anonymous.
When a buyer walks into your home, he or she should not see any signs of the person who lives there. This means putting away family photos and taking your kids’ drawings off the fridge. Pack your 200 teapots collection away, and paint over those bright blue walls with the rock band posters your son just had to have in his room. Items like that make it feel like your house, not a house looking for a new owner.
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Fix even minor problems.
Is your bathroom floor missing a piece of tile in one corner? Don’t just put a basket or plant on top of it and hope no one will notice. Fix it. Touch up the paint on the baseboard in the bedroom and fix that faucet that drips in the powder room. When a potential buyer visits a home, he or she is on the lookout for these things that you may not even notice anymore.
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Bring in an outsider.
You may think your house looks just great, but it can always look better. Hire a professional cleaning service to do a deep cleanse. You probably never noticed the spider webs in that vent. Have a professional landscaping company trim your hedges and spruce up your lawn. At the very least, have a trusted friend walk through with you and look for ways to improve it.
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Spruce up the front door.
Pay some extra attention to your entry way. Repaint the door, replace old light bulbs and fixtures, and add a nice plant or new welcome mat. First impressions are everything.
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Leave.
Your real estate agent should be the person handling the open house, not you or any member of your family. Pack up your kids and pets and go to a park for a few hours or take a little mini vacation for the weekend while your agent works to sell your home. Buyers often feel uncomfortable asking questions or pointing out imperfections when you are standing there with them.
If you are looking to sell your house, contact Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty at 404.237.5000 to find out how one of our experienced agents can help.