Holding an open house can be a bit of a nightmare unless you are a real estate agent. For a regular homeowner, the decision to sell the house is itself stressful. Add to it the stress of arranging an open house and the odds can be debilitating. What’s to be done is to be done, though, so better do the best you can. Unless you can afford to spend some money and hire the services of a house and rug cleaning company, you’ve got a couple of very busy weekends coming our way.
The Final Countdown to Your Open House Sale
Holding an open house is probably not the best way to sell a house-that’s what real estate agents would tell you, and you shouldn’t believe them. An open house loosens the agents’ grip on a property and they are not too fond of open houses. They might tell you that more and more people are going online to find the properties that they want to buy, which is true. Realtor.org reports that Internet is used as an information source for home searches 90% of the home buyers surveyed. Open houses are used 45% of the times, which means that most of the people who go online to search for a house also visit the property physically, if it’s an open house. More than 76% of the home buyers say that they drove by to see a property before buying.
The moral of the story is that open houses are still a great way of selling your house. However, like all other things, an open house will also work for you only if you do things right. A shabby or unclean house has virtually no chance of selling, regardless of how petty the problems might appear compared with the overall value of the property. For instance, dirty carpets or walls can be easily cleaned by hiring a San Diego rug cleaning or house washing company. It will just cost a few hundred dollars, which is nothing compared to the several hundred thousand dollars that the buyer is going to pay if he buys your property. Nevertheless, a dirty house is a big turn off and will turn away customers. Cleaning should be your topmost priority.
D – 14: Two Weeks before the Open House
- Publicize your open house using free classifieds and listings. Internet property listings such as Realtor, Trulia, and Zillow are good resources for letting your customers know you want to sell your house.
- Invite agents and brokers to preview your home over a cup of coffee. They can offer you valuable insights about the condition and outlook of your property, so you can decide whether you need the services of a house and rug cleaning company in San Diego.
- Plan to stage your home for a sale by making it look more spacious and attractive. Take a critical look at all the rooms and remove old and extra furniture to the storage.
- Mirrors, plants, lamps, rugs, and fabrics are some of the accessories that professional home stagers use to dress up your home for an open house.
D – 7: One Week before the Open House
- Implement your plans for house staging. Many homeowners feel averse to the idea of having to move the furniture back and forth, but remember to take out at least one piece of furniture out of every room. This will make the rooms look larger and more accommodating. Apply the lipstick and mascara (the accessories that you have planned) to make your house look attractive.
- Make living out arrangement for your pets. Buyers generally don’t appreciate the presence of pets during an open house. Cats and dogs can probably make your customers think the house must have been messy before you got it cleaned by a San Diego rug cleaning company.
- Remove all extra items that are not part of the sale. People might take offense if you tell them that the beautiful painting on the wall or the crystal chandelier hanging in the lobby is not for sale. The rule is simple-if you don’t show what you are not selling.
D – 3: Three Days before the Open House
- Now would be a good time to call in San Diego rug cleaners and let them loose upon the house. But if you are doing it yourself, you should launch yourself on a cleaning spree.
- Wash the bedding, towel, and rugs. Buff all surfaces and appliances to a glossy shine. Wash the windowsills and windowpanes; touch up the stains on the walls, and clean the floors to a deep shine.
- Pay attention to the minutest details and think above your regular standard of cleanliness. The property shouldn’t just be tidy, but immaculate in order to secure a fast sale.
- Wipe the fans, vacuum the dust and cobwebs from the corners, deodorize the bathrooms, clean everything inside and out-in short, aim for perfection. It’s not a bad idea to pay a few hundred dollars to a professional San Diego rug cleaning and house maintenance outfit and leave nothing to chance.
D – 1: One Day before the Open House
- Now that you’ve left no stone unturned in putting up your house for a quick sale, it’s time to take a step back and look at everything from a buyer’s perspective. Trim the loose ends and smoothen out the wrinkles that you observe. Give everything a final touch up.
D – 0: The D-Day
- Put some fresh flowers in the vases, bake or buy some treats for the guests, and take a chill pill. You’ve done everything you could, and even if you’ve missed out a few things, there’s no use of getting anxious at this stage. Greet the visitors smilingly and hope for the best.
Do you think you can handle your first open house on your own, or would you be calling in San Diego carpet cleaners for the job? Share your thoughts in your comments.