Living in your home while trying to sell it can be daunting, as it has to be open house ready at a moment’s notice. Most of the homes I stage are lived in while they are on the market. After the staging consultation and the to-do list are created, how can a homeowner maintain a nicely staged home while living their day-to-day lives?
7 Preparation tips for an open house:
- Snap pictures of the rooms after staging. You can then use those pictures as a reference; if you move furniture, pillows, throws, etc., you can quickly put everything in its place.
- Keep decorative baskets or containers in areas where stuff accumulates in your house. For example, they can be used to quickly pick up mail, catalogs, and random toys and place them in closets or bookcases.
- If you have kids, be sure the play area is picked up, and all toys are stored in decorative bins that the home stager recommends for the playroom. Also, have a basket or container available to keep gaming consoles, plugs, etc., out of sight for the showing.
- Keep the exterior of your house looking clean. Quickly sweep your doorway and remove cobwebs and debris to give the potential buyer a good first impression.
- Clear the bathroom counters. Keep cleaning items in the bathroom to quickly wipe the counter and mirror to remove water stains. Place the decorative towels, referencing your pictures, as the home stager suggested. Empty the trash, and remove all visible cleaners, plungers, and brushes. Be sure all toilet seat lids are down!
- Make your beds and ensure that no clothes are hanging or sitting anywhere. Hang up anything on the floor or have a lovely laundry container (with a lid) to place all random pieces.
- To keep your kitchen open house ready, keep your meals simple while selling your home. Remove your garbage frequently to ensure no bad smells and avoid strong-smelling foods.
Once you get into the routine, you will find it is better than you imagined. Staying on top of house cleaning is the key to success. Another tip a homeowner offered me is that they used a laundry basket to pick up anything random and stored it in their car during the open house!
If you are planning to sell your home this year, contact me for a professional home staging consultation by calling me at 610-955-8202.
By Debbie Correale, Redesign Right, LLC. Connect on Facebook Redesignright, Instagram Redesignright, Pinterest, Houzz, LinkedIn. Feature photo owned by Debbie Correale.