How to Prep Your Home for an Open House
Get top tips on keeping your home tidy for showings!
Photo: PJ Feinstein
When we put our house on the market last summer, my biggest fear wasn't how quickly it would sell. It was having to constantly pick up after a toddler, a baby, and a dog to keep it clean for last-minute showings and open houses. If you have children and pets, you'll understand that daily messes are inevitable!
To streamline the process of preparing our home for showings, my husband and I created this checklist to follow when we needed to tidy up and get out of the house quickly.
Photo: PJ Feinstein
Top Tips for Open House Prep
1) Vacuum to quickly clean up dust, hair, and crumbs.
2) Declutter because jam-packed bookcases give the impression of inadequate storage.
3) Remove personal mementos like photos to make it easier for potential buyers to imagine their things in the space.
4) Clean counters and faucets to remove smudges and add shine.
5.Put toilet seats down after swishing around some cleaner because nobody likes to be confronted with the inside of a toilet bowl.
6) Empty garbage cans and disinfect the kitchen bin to remove any lingering odors.
7) Hide dirty dishes in the dishwasher or in a large plastic bin that fits in the trunk of your car (a trick we learned from our realtor).
8) Turn on lights and open curtains because a bright and airy home is more appealing to buyers.
9) Hide laundry inside the washer or dryer instead of being left in a hamper.
- Keep valuables out of sight and take your laptops with you when you leave the house.
After the first few showings, we developed a rhythm that allowed us to quickly move through our home with storage baskets and cleaning supplies in tow. In the six years we lived in that house, it never looked better!
Bonus! Use scents to enhance the ambiance of your home.
The very first thing we did after receiving a call from our realtor about a showing was light a scented candle. That way it could burn and freshen the air while we were cleaning up. Interestingly, we learned that the smell of chocolate chip cookies and other baked goods can actually distract potential buyers—they'll be trying to determine what exactly they're smelling. Instead, we lit candles with simple, singular aromas like lemon, basil, and plain vanilla.
Tip!
If you don't have a candle, try adding houseplants with pleasing scents, such as lavender, eucalyptus, and rosemary.
