We’re getting everything ready for your first open home at Atlas, which is just a few days away. We’ve got all the big things covered, but if you’d like to go one step further, we’ve made a short list of things you can do to get your property ready for inspection. By completing these simple steps, you can have peace of mind that you’ve done everything possible to make your home appeal to buyers.
1. Walk through your property as if you were a buyer
This is a great first step to identify where the potential weaknesses of your property are, as this can get lost when you are living in the home. Walk out of your house, reset your mind and enter your home as if it was an open for inspection. It could even be useful to get an honest family member or friend to do this with you. When you walk back into your home, cast a critical eye and look for any damages or irregularities.
Next, write these down and categorise them. Are they issues with cleanliness, style or structure? Once you’ve done this, figure out what tasks can be achieved before your open home and act on them as soon as you can.
2. Declutter and clean
Decluttering and cleaning make a huge and immediate difference to your home. The property is probably very functional right now and suits your needs, but for inspections, it is better to have less furniture so that your property seems more spacious, and buyers can imagine their own touch on the home.
It’s also crucial to deep clean the property. Look at scrubbing the walls for any marks, polishing the floors, cleaning your furniture and other tasks that might fly under the radar.
3. Depersonalise your home
Removing personal items can help buyers envision themselves in the home. If you have any surfaces or shelves filled with personal items, you should tuck them away for the inspection. Family photos and memorabilia should also be stored away so that the buyers can imagine their own touch on the home.
Another important element to depersonalising the home is taking away your bolder design choices. If you have any loud furniture, it might be best to tuck these pieces away for your open homes.
4. Remove any signs of pets
Of course, you will take your pets with you when the home is open for inspection. However, this is just one part of the equation. It’s important to remove all pet hair from furniture, floors and bedding up until the minute that you leave – especially if you have a shedding pet. Remove any toys, beds and food bowls as these can distract interested buyers.
5. Lighten up your space
Making a home lighter and brighter gives the illusion of space and cleanliness, and it can be done with a few quick tricks. Firstly, capitalise on any natural light you have and use mirrors to reflect it all around the room. In any dark corners, put extra lamps to bring as much light as possible. Next, get lighter, more neutral furnishings that you can easily get in a short amount of time, such as curtains, pillows and artworks.
6. Keep up to date on basic maintenance
It is especially important to pay attention to upkeep and maintenance during the inspection period, particularly if you aren’t living at the property. Quirks that you may be used to tolerating such as leaky taps, squeaky doors or weak light bulbs can be very off-putting to potential buyers and are quick fixes.
7. Refresh small things
Small refreshes in the interior of your property can have an overwhelming impact. Getting new bedspreads and throws for all your bedrooms can add a modern touch, and new towels and soap dispensers in your kitchen and bathroom update the space. Your real estate agent will be able to provide you with small touches that will make the most impact for your property, so make sure to capitalise on their insight.
8. Clean the exterior
The outside of the property and the garden, whether you have an apartment or a house, can often slip under the radar because sellers worry so much about the inside of the home. However, curbside appeal is a huge factor for buyers when purchasing a property. To make your curbside appeal high, tidy up your garden including leaf litter, hedges and weeds. High pressure hosing the outside of your house and garden paths can give your exterior a huge uplift as well.
9. Create atmosphere
It’s no secret that first impressions count when it comes to open homes, so make sure you set a great mood. This includes setting the right temperature, making it inviting and warm in the cooler months and light and breezy in the summer months. Light some nicely scented candles to spread an inviting aroma throughout the house, and maybe even play some music that sets the tone for your property.
The effort you put in to preparing your property for open homes will be rewarded as buyers start to come through and fall in love. Ticking off all the above small tasks will make a huge impact in your listing and buyers will easily see the value in your property.
DISCLAIMER – The information provided is for guidance and informational purposes only and does not replace independent business, legal and financial advice which we strongly recommend. Whilst the information is considered true and correct at the date of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact the accuracy of the information provided. Atlas will not accept responsibility or liability for any reliance on the blog information, including but not limited to, the accuracy, currency or completeness of any information or links.
