The photos have been taken, your property is being advertised live online and its now time to open the doors for your first Open Home. Your home is in tip top shape and ready for the potential buyers to arrive.
If your home smells fresh and looks clean you are creating a welcoming environment for prospective buyers. You want your buyers to be thinking about buying your home…not cleaning it.
We all know that as you get older you acquire more and more ‘stuff’. If you don’t use it, lose it!
Don’t distract the viewers with all of your bits and pieces. Remove any personal items such as photographs or ornaments and pack them away for the inspections. Less is more when people are viewing your home-they want to envision themselves living in this space, so the less distractions the better!
Has anyone ever told you first impressions count? How well does your home compare to the others on the street? Does the gate work? Are the gardens looking neat or full of weeds? Are the wheelie bins out of site, and are the kid’s toys/bikes and scooters placed neatly in their right places?
Finish all those odd jobs that need doing around the house. The leaky tap, the squeaking door and the broken tiles. People notice and it is concerning because they are seeing maintenance and work, not their new home. They may also be adding up the costs of how much it will cost to fix.
Now that you have done all the hard work of cleaning, tidying and decluttering- its time to keep it that way. Washing should be in the laundry hamper, don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink or a pile of clean dishes on the draining rack…clear it away.
If your home is a 3 bedroom and 2 bathroom property but its set up as a 2 bedroom and playroom for the kids, its time to get the bed/s back in there. Don’t confuse people with the layout, they have come to see what has been advertised and you want the prospective buyers to go away to think about it, and talk about it with their partner and remember each and every room.
Space is a premium so you want to make the most of what is available in your home. When selling your home think of strategies to make the rooms look bigger. Clear away stuff stored on top of kitchen and bedroom cupboards, these make a room feel over-stuffed and suggest a lack of storage space.
Think about trying to get as much light into your home as possible. There’s nothing worse than a dark and stuffy house. Make potential buyers feel at home by airing the house out before the inspection and leave the windows open to promote the natural light and fresh air. Open all of the curtains or blinds as well, to let in as much light as possible. Not only will this make the inspection a more pleasant experience, but natural light is a big selling point for a lot of home buyers. It also helps to turn on all internal lights for extra impact. Showcase your home to its full potential!
Its time for your first Open Home!