Four Things That Can Be Open House Turn-Offs

Posted on: 30 December 2015

If you are working to sell your home, a major pull for this might be your open house. If you can prep for this correctly, you might have offers on your home right away. If you make a seemingly harmless mistake with your home's decor or open house, you might actually turn off buyers. Here are four things you should try to avoid during your open house.

1. Keeping Out the Clutter

Even if you are living in your home while this is on the market in real estate listings, there are plenty of things you can do to streamline the look of your home's interior. Taking down personal mementos, photos, and artwork will depersonalize your space and help potential buyers envision themselves in your space. Rent a storage unit for your extra things if you need to, since less clutter in your house will make the space seem bigger.

2. Don't Stick Around

While you might be excited for your upcoming open house, this is something that your real estate agent should be hosting. You might want to stick around and gauge reactions of potential buyers, but this might actually make people uncomfortable to ask questions and comment on your home. It is a good idea to steer clear of your own open house and let your realtor do the selling.

3. Hide Traces of Pets and Kids

Hide any clutter or supplies that relates to both kids and pets. Having a room or two staged for kid's bedrooms is one thing, walls marked up with crayons and a living room full of children's items is another. Put away dog bowls and cat boxes and get your pets out of the house, since some people might be turned off by pets or have allergies.

4. Avoid Strong Odors

Whether your home has a distinct smell or too much effort is put into hiding this, both can be turn-offs. Potential homebuyers will wonder what homeowners are hiding if they come into a home that has been doused with potpourri or air freshener. Air out your home ahead of time, and if weather permits, leave doors and windows open during your open house.

Selling a home can feel incredibly personal, but the irony is that you should try your best to depersonalize your space when selling. The cleaner your home is and more of a blank slate this is for potential buyers will give them the opportunity to see the potential in your home. If you are interested in buying a home, contact a business such as Greenways Real Estate & Auction.   

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