A Guide to Open Homes

When selling your home, having an Open Home gives potential buyers the opportunity to look through your home and decide if it is exactly what they are looking for.

You should always make sure your home is 100% ready for viewing. The little things can make a big difference to the first impression your home will make on potential buyers.

Here are some ways you can show it off to perfection:

• Make sure the house is spotless. Spring Clean regardless of the time of year. CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN If necessary consider getting in a professional cleaner or even friends or relatives to help.
• Pay particular attention to the bathrooms and toilets. Towels should be fresh and clean, if necessary buy a whole new set which colour coordinates, sinks and baths must sparkle, and the floor gleam. Try some pot-pourri or lovely soap.
• The kitchen, is the hub of the house. Make sure it is spotless, all dishes are put away, and bench tops cleaned and clear of all clutter. Don't forget to clean and tidy the pantry also. If necessary remove some of your excess stock to give the pantry an uncluttered look.
• Consider your home's street appeal – think of all those people who will do the drive-by viewing to decide whether it's worth closer inspection. Make sure lawns are mowed and trees and shrubs are trimmed.
• Take particular care of the approach to the front door and the entry. Make it look inviting by cleaning tiles, sweeping away any wind blown leaves and maybe place an attractive pot planted with bright flowers. Touch up any chipped or faded paint and polish any metal fittings. Splash out on a new door mat.
• If you have any dark areas in your home turn on a light or two to brighten them up. Also check all lights are working and replace any blown globes
• Display fresh flowers in vases in the dining room or living room.
• Have soft music playing in the background.
• Light the fire in winter or turn on heating to add extra warmth and ambience.
• Keep security in mind and put all valuables out of open sight.
• Open every window covering. All drapes, curtains and blinds should be positioned to let in maximum light.
• Make sure the house smells good. The aroma of brewing coffee and fresh baking helps turn a house into a home. Cinnamon is a great welcoming aroma. If you're not inclined to baking cookies or muffins, just make sure there are no pet or greasy cooking odors. Air the house out before the Open Home, but make sure the home is warm (especially in the colder months). Use air fresheners sparingly.
• Remove pets from the house, or at least, keep them outside. Ensure that they are secured so that they won't worry or annoy visitors. Consider sending the pets and even the kids to a friends for the Open Home.
• And most important, get rid of all clutter! Store any excess at a friends house. Have a garage sale to down size your load of items no longer used or needed.
• Wash down all paintwork getting rid of any children's' handprints or fly deposits to give a fresh clean appearance. Include ceilings in this exercise.
• Have your windows looking sparkling inside and out.
• Keep your lawn and gardens mown and tidy. Make sure decks and paths are clean.
• Identify and fix any maintenance issues. Replace washers in dripping taps, blown light bulbs, oil any squeaky hinges, fix sticking doors or windows.
• Tidy those wardrobes – they will look much bigger.
• Make small rooms look more spacious with the addition of a mirror or by removing extra furniture.
• Point out any unseen improvements to prospective purchasers such as insulation, double glazing, under floor heating, and in-wall sound.
• Consider removing any family photos to enable prospective buyers to create mental ownership of your home. Remember you want people to picture the property as theirs not yours
• Agents normally limit Open Homes to 30 minutes because they have several in one afternoon, because you are only showing one property run your Open Home for a longer period and try to time it either side of other Open Homes in the area. Allow people time to get to the Open Home if in a rural area. If your property is affected by aircraft, trains, traffic or other factors consider showing your home, if possible, at a time when the traffic is at its quieter flow. If your property has a good feature eg sunlight on the deck or water views, once again time your Open Home to maximize this effect.

More than half of all houses are sold even before the prospective buyers open your front door!

The first glimpse can have a huge emotional impact and put a potential buyer in just the right frame of mind to view your home.

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