How to Prepare for Your Open House: 23 Simple Steps to Success
Avoid last-minute stress before your open house. Use this 23-step guide to prep your home over time, ensuring a smooth and successful showing day.
Preparing for an open house is like hosting a party where you never meet the guests. It’s stressful, and honestly, a little odd. Buyers today have high expectations — they want a home that feels “as close to perfect as the sellers can possibly afford,” says Zinta Rodgers-Rickert, a top-selling real estate agent with 35 years of experience selling homes in Fairfax County, Virginia. Gone are the days when sellers could skip tidying up.
Now, even small details matter. To make sure your home shines, we’ve put together How to Prepare for Your Open House: 23 Simple Steps to Success. By starting your preparations at least a month in advance and following this comprehensive guide, you’ll cover every detail and impress potential buyers from the moment they step through the door.
Step one: Talk to an expert!
Selling your house soon? Connect with a top agent near you to get an expert opinion on how much your house will sell for, what to fix before listing, and the latest local housing market trends.
But first, a quick snapshot:
“Thirty years ago when I used to sell a house, nobody tidied up. Nobody made the bed. Nobody cleaned off the kitchen counters or the bathrooms. You understood it was a used house; someone was living there.”
Zinta Rodgers-Rickert & Rob
Real Estate Agent
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Zinta Rodgers-Rickert & Rob
Real Estate Agent at RE/MAX Gateway5.0
Currently accepting new clients
- Years of Experience
35- Transactions
368- Average Price Point
$508k- Single Family Homes
195
1 month before:
- Gut check: Is this open house worth it?
- Pack, sort, and purge your belongings.
- Freshen up paint where needed, both inside and out.
- Evaluate your furniture with a fresh eye.
2 to 3 weeks before:
- Make sure you’ve optimized your open house date and time.
- Market the house online.
- Send out your open house invitations and post flyers in the community.
- Get all your open house signage together.
1 week before:
- Do a depersonalization check.
- Put away heirlooms, valuables, and any items not sold with the house.
- Deep clean and create an action plan to keep the house tidy.
- Tend to the yard.
1 day before:
- Vacuum, mop, and dust the house.
- Do a sniff test and take care of any odors.
A few hours before:
- Crack open the windows, weather permitting.
- Flip on the lights.
- Create an inviting scent in your home.
- Secure your personal information.
- Plan for pets during showings.
- Take out your trash and hide the bins.
- Stash everyday clutter.
- Give each room a final check.
- Put out your signs!
Then skedaddle!
