When it comes to selling a home in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, staging an open house can certainly help set your listing apart from similar homes for sale. Real estate is a competitive industry and to ensure that you reach out to as many potential buyers as possible, many industry experts recommend that you have an open showing. While it is important to showcase your home to the public, there are mistakes that could turn off many buyers and brokers to your home. Following are some helpful tips for making the most of your open house day.
What is an Open House?
Investopedia defines an open house as “A scheduled period of time in which a house or other dwelling is designated to be open for viewing for potential buyers. Open house can also refer to the real estate property itself.” Sometimes, sellers and agents choose to serve refreshments and easy-to-eat hors d’oeurves as well. Even though the concept is quite simple, preparing to show your house to the public is a lot of work. You will need to remove clutter, personal touches, and most importantly, all dirt and dust. Your house needs to be immaculate on the day of its showing so that it appeals to as many potential buyers as possible.
Lesser-Known Home Showing Tips
When you open your house to the public, your home will be subject to scrutiny. Since it’s human nature to remember negatives over positives, flawed or unsightly areas may bring about more attention than your home’s many positive attributes. When preparing your home for an open showcase, look at every room through critical eyes.
Clean and Organize Everything
It may seem obvious to clean easily visible areas of your home like the kitchen, living room, and bedrooms, but if your closets are a mess, you could turn off a potential buyer. HGTV recommends organizing and cleaning every nook and cranny of your home, including pantries, attics, and garages.
Appeal to Everyone
While it’s impossible to please everyone’s tastes, you can certainly make a great effort with your house. Stick with neutral color palettes and decor, remove personal touches such as diplomas and photographs, and make sure your home looks move-in ready. You want potential buyers to see your property as their new home. They need to be able to envision themselves and their family living in the house. To help make this process easier for sellers, Front Door recommends emotionally detaching from your home.
Remember that Sounds and Smells Matter, Too
Even though viewing a house is a very visual process, other senses matter. For example, buyers will not want to smell lingering scents from the previous night’s meal, nor will they want to hear the sound of rushing traffic from a nearby busy road. To appeal to all senses, invest in clean-scented and mild air fresheners and consider playing very soft ambient music during your home’s open showing.
If preparing your home for an open showing seems too daunting, consider hiring professionals such as a cleaning service or carpet steaming company. You can also consult with an agent or interior designer or browse the Internet for more tips and tricks.
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