Three tips for the perfect open home

When your real estate agent holds an open for inspection, it’s your opportunity to let your home shine. Of course the marketing materials, photographs and advertisement copy all do their job, but once someone’s on your property, you want them to fall in love with what they see. Here are our top three tips for making sure your open for inspection is the best it can be.

1. HIGHLIGHT THE BEST BITS

Every home has that special something that makes it unique. If you’re highlighting a view, make sure the curtains are open and that the furniture is positioned in such a way as to draw the eye outwards.

For making note of local attractions, you could leave brochures with the estate agent to show prospective purchasers, or compile a menu book filled with the choices on offer from local restaurants – it’s the little things that count!

2. PLAY TO THE CONDITIONS

Is it winter outside? Yes. So, it wouldn’t be the best idea to leave all the windows open before you leave the house. Of course, in summer, that would be the ideal move. People want to feel comfortable when they walk into what could be their ‘forever home’, so try and emphasise how warm and welcoming your house or apartment is in the winter selling period.

Putting out thick rugs in the lounge and fluffy towels in the bathroom will help those rooms appear to be warmer. Heating helps too! Air conditioners and under-floor heating should be left on to welcome guests, but be careful if you use a gas or space heater at home – don’t leave these unattended!

3. CHOOSE THE RIGHT REAL ESTATE AGENT

When you interview agents prior to listing your property, make sure to ask them about how they would present your home to buyers. Some realtors are stronger than others when it comes to presentation ideas, so make sure to find out their thoughts.

Ask for examples of marketing materials or internal photographs from previous open for inspections they’ve held – this will give you a very realistic picture of what your agent can do for you and your home.

Preparing the bathroom for the photo's

In my opinion, I feel that bathrooms are a very difficult room to photograph

See below some quick tips

• Please make sure you have thoroughly cleaned the shower screen, bathtub, vanity and mirrors
• Remove any clutter eg shampoo bottles, soap, razors,kids toys and sponges
• Add some freshly laundered towels
• How about a small vase of flowers or a pretty bottle to the vanity top
• No bath mats please
• Remove any laundry baskets and scales from the floor
• Imagine that you are walking into a brand new bathroom, except for the towels that's all we really want to see in the bathroom

                                           I really really want this one

Tips for getting your property ready to sell!

Make an entrance - Front Yard

•     Add interest to your doorway with potted plants
•     Pave a pathway to your front door
•     Spruce up your front door with a coat of paint
•     Consider improving privacy by adding a low wall at the front of your house
•     If your hallway is narrow and dark paint it a light colour and add a broad floor 
•     runner
•     Invest in a new front door mat

Living Style - Lounge Room

•     Use neutral colours in your living space
•     Use receding colours like blues and greens to make the small space seem larger
•     Find a focus in your room.  
•     If you don't have a natural focus, add a feature wall
•     Ensure your carpets are cleaned
•     Ensure marked or damaged timber floors are re-sanded and polished
•     Layout your living area to show how you live there

The Room That Sells - Kitchens

•     Fix the floor by lifting old lino and replacing it with new lino, polished floorboards 
•     or tiles
•     If your bench-tops are scratched or stained, replace them with new laminate
•     bench-tops
•     New cupboard and drawer handles will add life to an old kitchen
•     A fresh coat of paint will cover cooking splatters and add life to a drab kitchen
•     Kitchen clutter must be cleared

Cleaning tips!

Instead of...Air Fresheners
You might want to try... “Essential oils". “At my house, I like to use cinnamon, vanilla or nutmeg. I just boil a little in water and let the aroma go through the house.”

Instead of...All-Purpose Counter Cleaner
You might want to try... Warm water and basic dishwashing soap “It does the same thing.”

Dirty sink

Don't worry about the dirty dishes and pots in the sink. People will understand you were in a rush to get out the door to get the kids to school  and get to the office on time.

WRONG: Buyers will see you as the lazy type. They start to think what else doesn't get looked after and taken care of around the property.

Kitchens are are real selling point. Often the focal point of a home.

Roll up your sleeves

It's the least fun way to give your kitchen a makeover, but believe it or not, cleaning and getting rid of clutter will go a long way toward making your kitchen look fresh and inviting.

Wash the curtains, or replace them with a trendy new blind. Clean the windows. Wash the cabinetry, and you'll be surprised how bright it seems. De clutter and select your best gadgets to be displayed. Tackle the oven and dishwasher, buyers always open up the ovens and trust me nothing worse than a smelly dirty oven.

Get Organised

Love an organised pantry

Organise your pantry into their appropriate sections, cans, condiments, packages etc. I find that putting small packets into containers/baskets really helps. Also get some larger baskets and put in all your sauces etc,line the baskets with paper towel.This Will keep you super organised and keep your pantry much cleaner.

Tupperware - Plastic Fantastic

Now seriously girls check out your Tupperware cupboard, how many un-matching lids and containers did you find? Do you ever wonder what really happens to them? A bit like the odd socks. Be brave.. be a tosser and get rid of them.

Clean clutter free walls

Create a clean cut organized look. Nothing worse than the ceramic flying ducks hanging alongside your Bali painting from the 80s. The buyers coming through your house must be able to relate to your home and see themselves fitting their life and family in there.

Quick fix = Fast results

You don't have to spend lots of money or time to change the look of your home. Just remember that when you are selling you want  people to walk into your home and feel right at home.

See below, some quick fixes that will make all the difference with little effort!

• Throw out the old sofa cushions and add a splash of colourful new ones
• Cover a canvas in matching fabric or paint
• Add some fresh flowers to the kitchen table
• Pop matching fresh towels in the bathroom
• De clutter the kitchen benches
• Wash and revitalise the bedroom linen
• De clutter. No junk allowed!
• Don't leave shoes and clothes on the bedroom floor   

• 

Surface Cleaning

Wipe down all surfaces and counters throughout the house, disinfecting as necessary. 

Pro tip: Be sure to wipe down all places that fingers touch, like door handles, light switches, TV remotes and phones. “Those are the places that people forget, and they really hold germs,” 

Overhaul Your Cleaning Kit

Overhaul Your Cleaning Kit
No pro cleaner likes to carry around too many supplies. Their five must-haves:

1. A 20-pack of microfiber towels (wash ’em as needed). Make sure to buy good-quality cloths, usually around $1 per cloth from a discount store, and never wash with dryer sheets or fabric softener. Pro tip: Before using a cleaning product for dusting, try just warm water and the microfiber.

2. A microfiber mop. On a tight budget, it’s cheaper and less wasteful than disposable mops. Pro tip: Great for picking up dust in high and low corners.

3. A nylon-bristle broom. It doesn't splatter walls or lose its bristles. Pro tip: Sweep your rug. It often works better than a vacuum.

4. A Shammy. A synthetic version of the traditional chamois cloth, this rubbery, hyper-absorbent towel is great for soaking up water and quickly buffing counters and furniture. Pro tip: Run a dry Shammy over a couch or floor to pick up pet hair.

5. A backpack vacuum. Professional cleaners love backpack-style vacuums because they’re gentle on back muscles and make it easy to move quickly from room to room. Pro tip: Look beyond the floor. It’s easy to quickly vacuum shelf surfaces, mantels, railings and inside drawers if you use lightweight hand extensions.

Kitchen and Bathroom

Walk through and spray cleaner on tubs, sinks and toilets. Return and scrub. Then, in the kitchen, wipe down the inside of the microwave, and cabinet and appliance doors. Sweep floors, then mop or scrub the bathroom and kitchen floors, and any other floor that needs it.

 Pro tip: “I always do bathroom floors on my hands and knees with a microfiber cloth and cleanser". “That’s how I know that I got every corner, even behind toilets, and that they’re 100% disinfected.”

Floors and dust

Nothing worse than dust and a dirty floor it can instantly put a buyer off.

Dust before hoovering or cleaning the floor. Try feather or lambswool dusters, especially extendible ones for reaching above window and door casings and into corners. Household rags are invaluable for jobs requiring a damp cloth – natural fibres work best. 

 Buy mops with a squeeze mechanism (great for vinyl, linoleum or ceramic tile floors) and a decent-size heavy-duty bucket one with a measuring scale, helps get soap-to-water ratios correct. 

Furniture fabric

Go through the house and strip and remake all the beds, wash any pillows, cushions, throw rugs or furniture blankets. Brush furniture surfaces with a vacuum extension if needed. You will be surprised at how fresh and clean everything will look.

Great storage ideas

Baskets make for great storage. Baskets are also great for hiding things very quickly, especially if you have a buyer who wants to inspect your home within the hour. Check out these other great ideas!

Lets get cleaning

Getting Started 

If you’re doing all the cleaning on your own, you won’t be able to get it all done in one day, so put together a check-list. Tackle sections of the house for a really thorough clean, then you’ll only have to do the basics to maintain order.

                       Check out pinterest for more great tips and ideas