How to get more money out of your open house

Every sale has an open house, a chance for prospective buyers to walk through, ask questions, and envision their new lives in the property.

Sometimes real estate agent will help you and coach you through the presentation of your property, or it it's empty, help bring in some semblance of furniture to convey what it could look like. Other times, however, they're happy to leave it as is, and just roll the dice. No matter the case, the best thing you can do is take the bull by the horns and get to work, sprucing up your place to the absolute best of your ability.

Here are some helpful tips to get the most out of your place!

1. Start with the outside first

Despite everyone knowing the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover", it, unfortunately, doesn't hold much weight, no matter how true it is. People are going to judge your house from the very second they arrive, and the quickest way to wow someone is to make the outside of your house look amazing.

Spend a day out the front of the house and get everything in order. Mow the lawns, trim up any trees, weed the garden, and if needed, give the front fence a pressure wash or a new lick of paint. Out the back, if you have an entertainment area, make sure the pavers or decking is clean, and the furniture is arranged in an appealing way.

Next, check the actual facade of the house. cobwebs under the verandah, peeling paint, shoes scattered by the front door. Not a good look, so pay special attention to both the front and the back entrances - that's where most people will see.

This is your first opportunity to impress potential buyers and helps to show them that you've taken care of the house.

2. Entrance is king

The entrance is where you set the whole tone of the walkthrough. If you've been watching House Rules this season, you'll know what we mean. The entrance has the ability to feel like a breath of fresh air and make someone go "okay, yeah, this is going to be good. I can't wait to see the rest".

This means de-cluttering the area around the entrance. Get rid of your shoebox, umbrella stand, worn out mat, dirty rug etc. Let in as much light as possible, keep it simple, and be as fresh as possible. If you can, just leave a nice hallway bench, a fresh vase of flowers, and maybe something else to spruce up the bench space. Live, Laugh, Love blocks or some artsy sculpture. Get the idea?

This also gives you a bit more space so your agent can comfortably greet prospective buyers. No one wants to feel cramped as soon as they enter a place.

3. Take that decluttering mojo and do the rest of the house

You're about to move out of the house anyway, so might as well get a jump on it. Buy some cardboard boxes from Officeworks and get to work in each room. Be systematic, and clean away as many knick-knacks, odds-and-ends, unused items and especially personal items as possible. Especially the personal items; the idea is to not have people think about your lives here but to envision their own.

Try and create as much open space as possible, in every area, and don't assume people won't look in a cupboard because people by nature can't help themselves. they're going to inspect all your kitchen cupboards, laundry cupboards and even peak inside your bedroom wardrobe.

A good rule of thumb is to take AT LEAST half of everything in your cupboards out. This just makes it feel way more spacious, and people are always going to be concerned with storage space in a new home.

4. Start styling!

Now the house is looking pretty bare, see if there's anything you can do to help add a sense of style and purpose to the place. If you don't mind getting a bit creative or spending a few dollars at Kmart, you can do a lot to spruce up your home. A few pot plants here and there, some new couch cushions, some nice jars for the kitchen bench, a few pieces of art in a good frame and some good looking bath towels. All go a long way to increasing the perceived value of your house.

You should also consider changing up your rooms a bit to help show off just how much potential your house as.

If you know that the second bedroom is a bit small, consider swapping out the furniture to make it a home office or study. On top of that, consider removing any other large, bulky furniture that might not make sense. It obviously made sense to you at the time, but now there are fewer items on everything, are you sure that the bookcase crammed in the corner of the lounge-room actually adds anything?

These are just some good points that you should consider. On top of that, listen closely to your real estate agent and ask a lot of questions during the process. They've got a lot more experience at this than you do, so take their advice when applicable.

Finally, if you are selling your home, and you want to help alleviate another pressure point in your potential buyers roadmap, have a building inspection undertaken. This way you can show them from an independent contractor just how sturdy and wonderful your home really is.

You can give us a call on 1300 657 546 to talk to our friendly team, or book online today!