Are you someone who can’t stand when something is dirty, out of place or when things are just down right messy? Well then, you’re a neat freak! Don’t worry you aren’t alone! Many home sellers get nervous or anxious about having an open house for their home due to the simple fact that they don’t want their house to end up messy and dirty.
We give you some tips to get you prepared to have a great open house with minimal clean-up so you can feel less stressed.
De-clutter your house- simply getting stuff organized/packed and making sure there is enough room for buyers to move around freely. Packing away knick knacks and personal effects from the home makes it seem more open and easier for potential buyers to imagine their belongings in the space.
- Remove all valuables and prescriptions – This ensures no one will be touching anything you don’t want them to touch or see. A seller’s agent will be there to host the open house, but they can’t be in every room at once. Make sure your valuables are tucked away. Again, this makes sure your space is clear and diminishes the potential for anything being misplaced.
- Clean (shovel, sweep, rake) your front walkway and stairs so to reduce the amount of dirt tracked into your house. A clean and welcoming front entry way is just the beginning of adding curb appeal, but it also will eradicate extra dirt from the bottoms of people’s shoes.
- Make sure to have a front rug in the entry way so people can wipe their shoes as soon as they enter your house.
- Many agents bring booties to an open house, especially when there is bad weather. Booties help protect your floors and carpets from snow, mud, dirt & water.
- Pick up area rugs that you want to keep clean, or put down clear mats in high traffic areas to protect the floors.
- Leave a few extra trash barrels around for visitors to easily dispose of wrappers or trash. This is especially the case if the seller’s agent plans on offering water or snacks to guests of the open house.
- If the agent does plan on offering snacks, discuss with them their options to make sure their furniture safe. Water is more easily cleaned up than fruit punch!
- See if the agent hosting plans on bringing an activity for bored kids who’ve tagged along with their parents. A few crayons and some coloring books are a great way to keep kids entertained while the adults try to focus on the house. It’ll also keep the kids from running around and finding other sorts of entertainment!
- Hire a cleaner after! If the extra work of cleaning up afterwards doesn’t fit into your schedule- it’s likely a neighbor uses a local cleaner that they could recommend. This way they’re vetted, and you know they’re trustworthy!
Open houses, as we all know, are a great way to let lots of potential home buyers check out your house at one time. Since they are such a great way to get buyers in and excited about putting in an offer, we want to make sure this is not a stressful, anxiety filled time for home sellers. Being prepared with these easy tips will help ease your nerves about letting people into your home.