Buyers check homes online first, but they'll always want to look through a home they like.
Open inspections are still the best way to showcase your home to potential buyers, so it’s important that your home ticks all of their boxes. Here are six simple steps to getting your home ‘open ready’.
Neat from the street.
Weekends are a busy time for buyers, so they’ll often do a drive by before the open inspection to see if your home makes the cut. First impressions really count, so get out on the street and see how your home looks. Sweeping the driveway, giving the fence a paint and weeding the garden might keep your weekend busy, but will make all the difference.
Keep it clean.
It’s an obvious one but probably the most important. Make sure your home is spotlessly clean inside and out. Vacuum, sweep, wipe down surfaces. Cleaning the windows takes time but they’ll show off the view and let more light in. Bathrooms and kitchens especially need to look and smell clean. If you have kids, make sure their toys are put away. People look inside ovens and robes, so make sure they look and smell great. Give outdoor areas a sweep and a tidy on the morning of your inspection.
Repairs show you care
You might be used to the leaking shower or the wobbly door knob, but they’re the first things a buyer will notice. And if a buyer sees just one thing that needs fixing, they’ll imagine there are plenty more repairs waiting for them.
Those little maintenance issues you take care of now will make a big difference to the offers you receive and the speed at which your home sells.
Scents make dollars.
Our sense of smell is almost as important as our sight when evaluating a potential home. That’s why it’s so important that first and foremost, your home looks and smells clean. Air it out before the inspection and maybe bring in some fresh flowers, especially if you normally have a pet inside. Take out the kitchen bin, your running shoes and the kitty litter tray.
If it’s a cold day and you have a wood burning stove, a fire will be an inviting sight and smell for buyers. Some people bake before an inspection to give their home that same feeling, but it’s more important that your home smells fresh and clean.
Space sells.
Beware of space invaders! Too much ‘stuff’ in a house makes it look smaller and potential buyers will think it lacks storage. You might love all your photos and personal trinkets but buyers will see it as your home, when you really want them to see it as theirs.
Buyers are always looking for a feeling of space, so a small sofa in a cosy living room is much better than a big modular lounge squeezed into it. The only thing you should fill your home with is light, so keep the curtains and blinds open, unless they’re masking an unpleasant view.
Make the outside an upside.
A lovely garden always adds value to a home. Even if your thumb is anything but green, make sure your lawns are mowed and any out-of-control shrubs or trees are pruned, especially if they’re keeping light out of your home. A thick layer of mulch is an inexpensive way of covering the weeds and giving the garden an instant lift. If you have an outdoor living area that looks a bit flat, a couple of flowering pot plants will brighten it up in a flash. And you can take them to your next home!
