OPEN HOUSE STAGING TIPS

You are putting your house on the market. You would like your sale to go as quickly and smoothly as only possible. And of course you would like to get a good price for the property you are selling.

Here are some tips for preparing for open house.

Open House Tips

On average it takes seven seconds for the property to make an impression on a buyer...

Curb appeal.

The very first thing that your potential buyer will see is the outside look. Make as inviting as possible. Give the sidewalk a good sweep. Maybe driveway and arch need some power washing? Cut the grass is in season, and reseed if needed. Rake all the dried leaves away. Put away everything that maybe useful to use for everyday but is not eye appealing. Decorate with seasonal potted plants or you may decide to plant few blooming, inexpensive bushes in front of your house. Wash front windows! Don't forget about front porch appeal!

Make your house a sparkling freshness.

There is nothing worse that coming to unclean space. Sparkling floors, windows, and door knobs

are very important. Cleanliness is one of the most important selling features and very inexpensive. Make sure the cleaning products you use of your floors don't leave residues that stick to your socks when you walk...The cleanliness shows that the house is well kept. In general it causes feeling of assurance about the property and its current owners.

Remember to open windows and let fresh air in before an open house. The smells are very important. Change cat litter and put it out of sight and be aware of all pet odours. Sometimes is better to buy a new blanket for Buddy and Cocco since it is hard two get rid of the smell of the old one even if you wash it very well. Plus they will love it!

De-clutter and put it away.

All clutter needs to go. Seriously. Even if you think that it actually makes house feel more home...

The problem is that the buyers may look at to differently or maybe they don't like the display of that kind of vintage...You can put it back in your new house! This one you are trying to sell so it needs to go for a time being.

Sort kids toys, put them into bins and store them away. The little one may not like it at the moment but after open house is over the toys will be there again and even better organized than before.

Floors.

If you have any old rugs that don't look fresh any more simply put them away. Give a carpet a good steam clean. Those rental machines are not very expensive.

Dining room.

Strike a good balance between empty and too cluttered. Empty dining table often looks uninviting especially if your dining set is not top of the trend. Make it inviting and pleasant. Make sure not to put too many things as it may seem somewhat dizzying and makes impression that the space is too small for it.

Colours.

Choose neutral colours, mixed warm and cool tones. If one of the rooms has those vibrant navy blue walls...you may consider repainting it with something lighter which will make room seem bigger and in the same moment will appeal to more buyers. Time to experiment with fun lime green and rich purple will be in your new house! Avoid very brightly coloured add-ons, unless you are really, really sure that they match with overall look. Don't overdo it!

Oh, and remember, the time of everything white or everything grey is over...but more about it in my next post.

Style each room according to their function.

Don't put randomly looking items through the house.This is a mistake even stager do at times when they get carried away with colours schemes etc... Remember each room has it function and it is good to show and accentuate it in a soft, neutral way.

Get WD-40!

No, I am not kidding! Use it for all squeaky door knob and hinges. Whenever something squeaks you don't think - "oh, it's new"! You want to get rid of all noises that suggest that something is old or not working properly. Plus, did you know that WD-40 removes easily chewing gum that is stuck to some surface? It also makes scrubbing of hose tough black scuff marks on your kitchen floor much easier. You can also use it to remove stubborn tea stains on countertops, and to dissolve gunk and lime in toilet bowls...