How to prepare for an open house
When selling your house, making the right first impression
can:
- get you the best price in any market.
- change browsers into buyers.
- shorten your selling time.
- stimulate multiple offers in a hot market.
Try to stop thinking of your house as your home and to start
thinking of it as something you want to sell. Having trouble
putting yourself in the buyer's shoes? Ask your REALTOR?
friends or neighbors to walk through the house with you and give
you tips on things you might not have considered.
Remember, buyers won't see everything you did to make it
better, but they will see everything you should have done or
didn't get finished.
- Fix flaws. Set a
few days aside to finish all those tasks you’ve been
meaning to do but never seem to get to, both inside and
outside the house. You’ll be amazed how fast you can get
things done with a little focus.
- Clean, clean, clean. Wash
the windows inside and out. Clean the floors. Keep going:
inside the oven, beside the stove, under the sink, on top of
the fridge, under the couch and beds, and especially in the
bathrooms.
- Declutter and
depersonalize. Make it easy for buyers to imagine
their things in your space. Put away your family photos,
knick-knacks and eccentric art objects. Clear everything off
the kitchen and bathroom counters. Weed out your closets to
show off how much space they actually have. Straighten up
and unclutter bookcases, end tables, coffee tables and bed
stands. Relegate fitness equipment to one room, or pack it
away. You can assign tasks to everyone in the family, or
hire a professional organizer to help you speed through the
process.
- Update your look. Repainting
in neutral shades is one of the easiest things you can do to
spruce up your home. Update lighting: inexpensive fixtures
can make a dramatic change.
- Appeal to their senses. Think
light and bright: turn all the lights on, and open the
drapes. Make your home smell fresh and clean by putting pets
in their kennels or outdoors. Where possible, open windows
to air out the home ahead of time (but shut them before
people arrive). Pack away throw rugs and carpets: they may
hold odors and can make your house look smaller. Avoid heavy
air fresheners as many people have allergies to perfume.
Instead, bake bread or cookies or simmer a fresh pot of
coffee before people arrive.
- Bring in freshness. Place
heaping bowls of fresh apples and oranges in the living and
dining room. Put pots of fresh flowers at the front door and
throughout the house.
- Play up your home's best
features. Show buyers how they can enjoy the space:
if the view is fabulous, leave a pair of binoculars on a
side table; if you have a breakfast bar, set out a beautiful
service for two; if the garden is a haven, put a
gardener's journal on a patio table by a lounge chair.
- Take care. Remember
you're opening your home to strangers. Lock away or remove
your jewelry, cameras, petty cash and coin collections. Pack
away fragile items that could easily be jarred and broken.
- Be hospitable. In
poor weather, provide a place for overshoes, boots,
umbrellas and coats. Eliminate potential hazards such as
sharp objects and salt icy sidewalks.
- Provide marketing
material. Set out your home's fact sheets, photos
and other documents your REALTOR?/sup> recommends on
the dining room table or kitchen counter.
All done? If you are using a REALTOR?/sup>, leave.
Prospective buyers often feel more comfortable touring a home
without the owner present. And you deserve a reward for all your
hard work. Go do something you enjoy!
Use our free mortgage payment calculators:
1.How much do I have to earn?
Not sure how much money you'll have to earn to afford your house payment and accompanying expenses?
2.Mortgage payment calculator
Want to know how much your monthly payment is for your mortgage?
3.Bi-weekly mortgage calculator
Want to know how much time and money you'll save paying off your loan on a bi-weekly payment plan?
4.Additional payment calculator
How much do you save by paying more or making additional payments than your initial mortgage terms?
5.How much can I borrow?
Want to know how big of a mortgage you can take on?
6.Should I pay discount points?
Not sure if you should pay discount points on your mortgage loan?
7.How much will I save by refinancing my loan?
How long will it take to recoup the costs of refinancing my home mortgage?
8.How much will my tax deduction be?
Want to know how much your home mortgage will save you in taxes?
9.APR calculator
To find out the annual percentage rate of your loan, enter the loan amount, interest rate, points, other costs and year-length term.
10.Interest only monthly payment calculator
To find out the monthly savings you could gain from an interest-only payment plan.
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