For a home seller, an open house feels a lot like a birthday party—except it’s a lot more work and a little less fun.
You’ve extended invitations, spent hours preparing, and now you wait on pins and needles to see if anyone is going to show up.
When the appropriate preparations are made, you should have streams of buyers coming through your Huntsville home, and hopefully, many offers on the way.
Tips for Preparing for an Open House
- Freshen up worn areas – Touch up any exterior paint, mow the lawn and trim the bushes. Throw away any junk and move cars, bikes, and any other eyesores away from the front of the house. You want prospective buyers to have a good first impression of your home.
- Clean like you’ve never cleaned before – Whether you do it yourself or hire professional cleaners, your house should be scrubbed from top to bottom before inviting strangers in to take a look.
- Stage your home – You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars, but putting a little bit of money into staging your home will pay off in the long run. Buy some new hand towels for the bathrooms and get a few new rugs. Don’t overdo it on furniture, but some fresh throw pillows on the couch can go a long way.
- Declutter and depersonalize – Remove or hide piles of papers, empty laundry baskets, and clear off countertops. Take down any overly personal touches like family pictures or children’s artwork and replace them with clean, simple art pieces.
- Remove the pets (and any sign of them) – Pet hair and odors are a big turn off to potential buyers. Ask a friend or neighbor to keep the pets for the day and be sure to clean up any pet hair on floors and furniture as well as removing litter boxes and feeding dishes.
- Let in the light – A dark room isn’t very inviting. Open all the blinds and curtains (make sure the windows and tracks are clean!) and turn on all the lights in the house, even in closets. This will make your home appear warm and welcoming.
- Spread the word – Tell your neighbors, post about it on social media, put signs in your yard, and utilize the internet to get the word out. There’s nothing more disappointing than going through all the prep work only to have a very poor turnout at the home viewing.
- Keep everyone safe – In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, it’s important to keep yourself and anyone who enters your home safe. Provide masks and hand sanitizer to guests and offer virtual home tours to those who aren’t able to make it to the home tour. You can find more specific safety guidelines here.
When you follow these steps, your open house is bound to be a success!
Local Home Buyers Will Buy Your Home
Does all the work that goes into an open house seem daunting? Perhaps you’re ready to sell but aren’t in a position to put in the work to get your home up to standard. Local Home Buyers will buy your Huntsville, Alabama, home in any condition for cash! No need to make repairs, paint, or even bring out your vacuum. Give us a call and get your offer today!