Real Estate News: How to Stage Your Home for an Open House

How to Stage Your Home for an Open House

How to Stage Your Home for an Open House

Tips & Tricks

Any real estate agent will tell you that one of the best ways to sell your home fast is to have an exciting open house. Prospective buyers will be more likely to make an offer on your home at an open house event if you properly stage your property. This will take some hard work on your part, but you will see positive results. When you begin to stage your home for the real estate market, there are some steps that you should take to make your event successful.

Clean the House

A clean home is a home that sells on the real estate market. Cleaning carpets, waxing floors, dusting, and scrubbing are all essential to making your home appealing to house hunters. No detail is too small when it comes to cleaning your house. That is why it important not to forget about things like cleaning out the fridge and organizing cabinets. If you don't have one already, make a space in your home that has cleaning products neatly organized. This will demonstrate that you have taken steps to keep your home clean and well maintained during the length of your ownership of the property.

Make Necessary Repairs

Buyers taking a serious interest in your home will want to thoroughly inspect your house both inside and out. One of the most important steps for staging your home for an open house is to make any and all needed repairs to the home. Leaking faucets, holes in the walls, and broken light fixtures are just a few repairs to consider. Walk through your home as though you are the prospective buyer, and take note of any damages that would make you think twice about making a new home purchase. You may also want to have your real estate agent walk through the home with you to help catch anything that you might have missed.

Clean Out Storage Areas

It is tempting to fill the garage, attic, and closets with items that you don't want laying around during the open house. This is a big mistake, as visitors to your home will want to inspect these areas to determine how much storage space your home can offer. Organizing these spaces will allow you to emphasize the available space in your home, making it more attractive to buyers.

Simplify Your Home Décor

New home-buyers want to envision themselves living in your home, which can be difficult if your home is filled with personal mementos or unusual interior design choices. Photos on the refrigerator, vacation souvenirs on shelves, and any other highly personal knickknacks should be packed neatly away in your storage areas. If your walls are not painted in neutral tones, you should consider painting before your open house. A little girl's hot pink bedroom might not be appealing to a buyer that has three sons. The key to simplifying your home décor is to create a space that allows anyone to picture living in your home.

Allow for Light and Fresh Air

Well-lit rooms often appear larger than they actually are, so be sure to open curtains and blinds wherever possible. You should also replace any light bulbs that are burnt out and add light fixtures to any dark spaces in your home. A few hours before your open house, you should open a few windows to allow fresh air to circulate throughout the home. Although you do want your home to smell pleasant, you should avoid overpowering air fresheners. Heavy scents may give the impression that you are trying to hide something.

Don't Neglect the Outside of the Home

Your front yard is the first thing that people are going to see as they approach your home, so it is your first chance to make an impression on potential buyers. Clean up any clutter in the front yard such as bicycles or lawnmowers. Make sure that your grass is trimmed and that the outside of your home is clean. If you can afford it, consider hiring a landscaper to give the exterior of your home a more finished look.

The open house is your first date with potential buyers, so make sure to make your home stand out as a neat, clean, and welcoming place to live. Following these steps will help guarantee that your house sells quickly for a fair price.