It’s never easy to start over and leave behind the places in which you made most of your memories. Whether we’re talking about the first house you bought together with your spouse or the one in which you grew up, selling it could be painful.
However, you should also think about it as a new chapter in your book of life. Be grateful for the good times you had, and prepare it for another loving family with the help of these easy tips.
Clean and then clean some more
If your open house event is due in a few days, it’s high time you made the place sparkling clean. Keep in mind that potential buyers will want to take a look everywhere, and this includes under the bed or in the bathroom.
Remove dust from all surfaces, and make sure all accessories or display objects are shiny. Channel your inner cleaning freak to get rid of any stains that might cover the floors or the kitchen counters.
Unless all your kitchen appliances are brand new, you need to make sure they look and smell fresh. We’re especially talking about your oven, microwave, and fridge but picky buyers might also take a look at the sink or inside the dishwasher.
Pay attention to smells
Each house has a specific scent that is easy to detect by anyone who doesn’t live there. After thoroughly cleaning your home, leave all the doors and windows open to allow proper air ventilation.
The kitchen, the bathroom, and the basement are usually the places that have specific odors, so leave the windows wide open to eliminate them. Don’t cook bacon or spicy foods a few days before your open house either.
As for the basement, you should invest in a quality exterior sump pump that will prevent flooding after a heavy storm which might leave a permanent musky scent in the room. You can also mask some of the odors with the help of fresh flowers or air fresheners.
Clear out the clutter
An open house event implies strangers entering your home and looking through every corner of it to make sure they like what they see – nobody wants to see too many pictures of the owners or weird stuff left all over the place.
Use all your storage space to hide the shoes and clothes that would normally hang on “the chair” or in the hallway. Try to hide all your personal items like paperwork, jewelry, and underwear in locked drawers, away from the curious eyes of potential buyers.
Repaint the walls in neutral colors
We get that it’s your house and your taste but if you’re looking to close a deal anytime soon, you need to make it welcoming and comfortable. Neutral colors may look dull but they make the place seem bigger and brighter.
If you have some of your room walls or the ceiling painted in bright shades of pink, red, blue, orange or yellow, you need to switch to warmer, neutral colors like beige, off-white, and lemon. You can still add a pop of color to the room with the help of well-picked accessories like curtains, decorative pillows or small paintings.
