Tips to Prepare Your Home for an Open House

If you’re in the market for one of the homes in Grand Forks, we invite you to look at our listing of available homes. With our array of offerings, you’re sure to find your ideal home. When buying a new home, there’s usually an existing home that needs to be sold first, and an open house can be a great way to show off your home to a variety of potential buyers. Here are some tips to make sure your home will appeal to more visitors.

Your first step when preparing to sell any home is to make sure there’s no clutter. You want to create a neutral canvas that allows potential buyers to see themselves living comfortably in the home. Clutter isn’t just junk; it’s an excess of decorations, big furniture, and too many items on counters.

You want to create a sense of space, so one way is to go ahead and start packing up non-necessary items. You may want to consider storage if you have some particularly large pieces your agent recommends moving. The extra cost could be worth it if it means your home shows better and looks more appealing to more buyers. Don’t forget to organize drawers, closets, and cupboards, too, so they don’t make it look like there’s not enough storage space.

Once you’ve removed the clutter, it’s time for a deep clean. Life is hectic, so consider hiring a cleaning company to take away some of the stress and ensure a faster, thorough cleaning. They tend to see the things we often forget, but observant buyers will notice if they’re not clean. Dusty, stained surfaces, from cabinet tops to baseboards can create a subconscious bias against your home, so make sure it’s clean and stays clean.

Cleaning will help neutralize some odors, but have an outsider come in and assess any potential odor problems. You may want to get your carpets cleaned and give your pets baths more  often during the selling process. Don’t just try to hide smells with fragrance, as that can also be a problem for some buyers sensitive to fragrance.

Now is also time to make those repairs you’ve been meaning to do, from torn screens, to old water stains. In some cases, your agent may suggest more expensive repairs if they think they’re enough of an issue to turn off potential buyers. The cost may be worth it if you can likely get a higher asking price as a result.

Don’t forget the outside of your home. Curb appeal is vital to making a good first impression, so make sure your yard is clean and well-tended.

Many of these tips also apply to how you should prepare your home to go on the market in the first place. From day one, it needs to shine. Then stay on top of cleaning and clutter so you’re always ready for last-minute showings, as well. Soon, you’ll have sold your home and be ready to move into one of our homes in Grand Forks and start a great new chapter in your life.

Categorised in: Community Profile, Finance Tips, Selling Tips, Things To Do, Tips to Prepare Your Home for an Open House

This post was written by Crary Real Estate