sale. Make sure your home smells good! Open the windows, place fresh flowers throughout the house, bake some cookies, or light a scented candle. Make the beds. Wipe out the sinks. Pick up the towels. Put the kids and their school backpacks in the car (along with Fido) off to spend time with family or friends. Having pets in the home during an open house is at the very least a distraction and could even be a liability. The exterior of the house must be clean and welcoming. Either hire a professional to power-wash your home and walkways or rent a power washer and do the job yourself. In addition to glistening floors and streak-free windows, there’s an important factor that very few sellers consider: the neighbors. Although it’s probably not the first thing a house hunter considers in selecting a new home, eventually, they will be interested in learning something about the neighbors. Neighbors can be both you and your buyer’s best friends. Alternately, they can also turn out to be your biggest nightmare. Taking the surprise element out of the equation helps put buyers at ease, so it’s often a good idea to invite the neighbors to participate in the open house. Make sure that the neighbors you invite are indeed people who will make buyers feel comfortable and at home.
TAKE YOUR OPEN HOUSE UP A NOTCH
Holding your open house in a party-like atmosphere gives potential buyers a different, lively perspective of the home in which they can envision themselves as the hosts in a home that’s brimming with life and energy. It’s easy to show off your home’s best features in this relaxed environment. If you have a spectacular outdoor living space, plan an outdoor barbecue with all the fixings of a fun summer day. Just the prospect of free food can bring in a crowd. Don’t be too concerned if you get a lot of “looky-loos” who
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