What are best practices for an open house? Trying to be under contract in 30 days! 😳

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Clean, clean, clean. Try to hide flaws. Put a rug over that stain on the floor! Candles with fresh clean scents.

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Also de-personalize the space. Remove any photos, thin out your closets so they look mostly empty and people can see the size of the closet (as opposed to the quantity of stuff you have).

Ensure all light bulbs work, and turn all lights on (even if the showing is in the middle of the day).

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We sold our first house the first day we listed, the first showing. We packed away half to 3/4 of our items in storage, completely depersonalized and decluttered. Fixed any maintenance issues and rigorously cleaned and organized every space including all closets and the garage.

The final touch was I got a vase of fresh flowers, baked cookies, and blew off our driveway full of acorns and leaves right before they arrived. Took out the trash and removed laundry baskets.

We also printed out a sheet with every update we had done to the house and the year and had copies on the counter for buyers to take.

At least in my area these little touches make a huge difference to help buyers see themselves in your house and to differentiate yourself.

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This was Houston! Just noticed you are here too.

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Get rid of clutter, tidy up outdoor spaces. Organize pantry and under sink areas.

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Consider getting a pre listing home inspection and provide copies of the summary (including any fixes you made) to interested parties. We bought a house sight unseen because the owners had done that (and we’re still happily collecting rent).

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Bake cookies

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List it on Thursday. Usually gives potential buyers time to plan their weekend for open house

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Move 75% of your stuff to storage. Fresh paint, clean everything. Have someone with a good eye for design help you stage the house. Bake cookies for your guests.

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