Simple Steps to Prepare Your Home for an Open House

If you are selling your home, two of the most powerful marketing tools you can make use of are great photos and a carefully planned open house. High-quality photos actually allow properties to sell for more. Meanwhile, open houses have been shown to pave the way for speedier sales, likely because they allow you to engage with multiple buyers at once. To make the most of these marketing tools, you first need to prepare your house’s interior so you can show it in its best light. There is no need to hire a professional for real estate staging, which can result in expenses ranging from $500 to $5,500. Instead follow the do-it-yourself tips below to get your home market-ready.

Clear away clutter and personal belongings

An open house should be welcoming, making visitors feel at ease in what could potentially be their new home. Clear away all clutter, from shoes to stray papers. As this Psychology Today article explains, clutter actually has a negative impact on the brain, resulting in anxiety and other negative feelings. By creating clean, sleek surfaces that aren’t littered with stuff, you also make your home look larger.

As you clear away clutter, keep an eye out for personal belongings in particular. Family photos on the walls or inside jokes taped to the refrigerator are what makes this space uniquely yours. However, the point of putting the interior on display in photos or via an open house is for other people to envision the home as theirs. Eliminating these unique details creates a blank canvas, allowing buyers to get excited about what they would do with the house.

Embrace natural light to open up the space

Proper lighting, especially natural light, can make your home seem bigger both in person and in photos. It’s all about contrast: A space built around contrast, for instance by setting dark carpets against light walls, will look smaller than a space that is all light and has limited contrast. Open windows, blinds, and shutters to let the sun in. Take pictures during the day and hold your open house at a time when you know that important rooms, like the kitchen or living room, will be flooded with light.

Another trick beloved by real estate staging professionals when they are trying to make a room like lighter and brighter is to add mirrors. Placed correctly, they can give the illusion of depth. They also reflect light, bouncing it into the room from additional angles. Try hanging a large mirror opposite a window to reflect the outdoors: In this way the mirror almost appears to serve as an additional window itself.

Get inspiration from other open houses in your area

Finally, take the time to visit other open houses in your neighborhood to see how yours measures up—and what you can do to one-up the competition. Other people might do things you can learn from, like adding flowers to make the interior look and smell great. You can find nearby open houses by researching online. Pinpoint properties that are in a price range similar to yours (homes in Placitas have been selling for $375,000 on average) as these will attract a similar type of buyer.

The real estate market is competitive, and you want to put your best foot forward if you are going to turn a profit. Don’t delay in adopting these tips: The longer your home takes to sell, the more money you have to spend on additional marketing endeavors. You also don’t want to live in limbo wondering when the process will be over. Follow these guidelines to nix clutter and create a beautiful, welcoming space from the get-go, and your home’s interior will be looking its best when you put your house up for sale.