How to have a successful open for inspection

OpenInspection

When you’re selling your house, the key to a successful open for inspection is to make potential buyers feel comfortable. You want to show your property’s best side, and allow people to see themselves living in their new home. We’ve put together some handy tips to help increase your property’s attractiveness on inspection day.

Put on a good face

Potential buyers will be inspecting your house from the moment it’s listed. They’ll drive by to check out the neighbourhood and see how things look from the outside – so this is the moment to make a good first impression.

Tidy the front garden, keep the verandah clear, hide the garbage bins and remove junk mail from your letterbox. You can add planters with colourful flowers to the verandah if you don’t already have them.

Remember to keep the external lights on at night, and make sure the front of the house – the face it presents to the world – is clean, freshly painted and well maintained: no sagging gutters, clogged downpipes or broken external blinds and shutters.

Clean until it hurts

Your house needs to sparkle and shine in every room (including the kitchen). Keep the sink clear of dirty dishes, put fresh (or even new) towels in the bathroom, make the beds and polish all tabletops, dressers and bureaus. It can help to empty the dishwasher and keep the fridge clean and orderly – potential buyers might look in there, too.

Cut the clutter

Put away anything that isn’t essential to everyday living; take piles of magazines off the coffee table, clear away mail from the sideboard or wherever you keep it, and organise desks and tabletops.

Also remove knick-knacks and other personal items that might be on display, although don’t strip the place bare. It still needs to look like someone’s home.

Tone down the quirk

The purple beanbag? The kitsch op-shop vases? Your furniture says a lot about you, but too much personality can crowd out a potential buyer, so put the really ‘you’ items away during inspections. Buyers need room to project their own personalities onto your home.

Let the light in (and the smells out)

Swap dark, heavy window coverings for lighter blinds and curtains, and open them up to let natural light in. Also, consider repainting darker rooms in light, neutral colours. Give your house a good airing before each open for inspection. Smells that you might not even notice, from cooking, pets or smoking, for instance, can be quite off-putting for others. People can be sensitive to all types of smells, so while subtle floral or oil diffuser aromas are good, don’t overdo it with the ‘nice’ scents, either. The aromas of baking bread and freshly brewed coffee are attractive and homely – but are hard to organise if you’re not around.

Make yourself scarce

Buyers needs to feel like the home is almost theirs – having the current owners hanging around can make them feel like they’re intruding. It may also discourage people from telling the agent what they really think about the home – an important source of market intelligence.

Oh – and take the dog with you. Not everyone likes pets, some people are scared of dogs, and a roaming pooch will get in the way. Presenting your property in the best possible light can improve your chances of a sale. With a bit of preparation, some elbow grease and attention to the finer details, your home will be ready to make its best impression on potential buyers.

We thought you might also like...

Blog 1100x733 SME growth May 2022

Bulk of SMEs preparing for growth over next 12 months: research

Small businesses around the nation are once again confident about their future and ready to start driving toward their next phase....
Read More >
Blog 1100x733 assets for growth

SMEs invest in machinery, IT and energy-efficient assets for growth

Australian small businesses are investing in their recovery through a surge in machinery purchases, IT and office technologies,....
Read More >
GoodTenants

Why good tenants are more important than you think

Given you don’t have to spend much time with your tenants, you may think it’s not important who they are.
Read More >
Blog 1100x733 ditch renting

How to escape renting and get into the property market

The recent decline in rental properties has caused many to feel uncertain about their housing situation. Here’s how you can....
Read More >