Tips to prepare your home for an open house

You’ve listed your home, and now it’s time to schedule an open house! To make the best impression on potential buyers, check out this handy list of tasks.

1. Declutter: Start purging and packing your belongings so visitors can picture their stuff in your space.
2. Depersonalize: Remove family photos, heirlooms, posters, artwork and other personal items.
3. Repair: Make small cosmetic repairs like fixing a leaky faucet, replacing burnt-out lightbulbs and patching dents and holes in the walls.
4. Deep clean: Baseboard, ceiling fans and cabinets are often forgotten during regular house cleaning. Consider hiring a professional cleaning service to get every nook and cranny.
5. Organize closets and drawers: Purge, clean and organize closets and drawers so buyers can accurately assess storage space.
6. Rearrange furniture: Rearrange your furniture to maximize space
7. Neutralize odors: Before an open house, shampoo your carpets, open up the windows and use neutral, fresh scents to freshen up your home.
8. Paint: Give your home a fresh coat of paint inside and out with a neutral color. It will make a great impression in photos and in person.
9. Landscaping: Mow your lawn, trim your shrubs and remove weeds to increase curb appeal.