Open Home Checklist

Part of the plan of selling your home is to make it look its best for an open home. An open home can be
nerve-racking, so before any potential buyer steps foot into your home, make sure you do all the things on the following list so that your house looks its best.

Inside General:
Clean, make sure the house is spotless!
Eliminate clutter – kitchen bench tops and bathroom vanities should be clear and clean.
Remove magnets from the fridge.
De-clutter rooms – remove bulky furniture if necessary, take down family photos, and put away knick-knacks – including TV remote controls, kettles, toasters, mugs, magazines, pet dishes.
Clean curtains, blinds, shutters.
Open curtains – create a feeling of space and light.
Paint interior walls if required – neutral shades are best.
Make necessary repairs / replacements eg. Shower curtain, broken curtain rods.
Clean carpets / polish floorboards professionally to remove stains or re-carpet if appropriate.
Photography Time – select the best showing time of day for sunlight. If you do show at night, make sure the house is well lit.
Bedrooms:
De-Clutter.
Make all the beds.
Pick up and put away anything on the floor eg. dirty washing, clothes, handbags, etc. Clear all bedside tables and vanity units.

Bathrooms:
Clean bathrooms thoroughly – get rid of mould and water stains and replace the bathroom towels with dry fresh ones or remove all towels and mats completely.
Remove all bathroom clutter and materials.
Put toilet seats down.

Outside:
Mow Lawns (and council strip)
Rake leaves / Sweep paths.
Weed Garden.
Plant perennials.
Prune trees and shrubs.
Clear gutters and paint if necessary.
Remove toys and yard clutter, including hoses, pool cleaners, etc.
Remove / Hide bins & pet dishes.
Wash windows and flyscreens.
Clean away cobwebs.
Wash the exterior of house with high pressure hose or investigate rendering or painting costs.
Clean or paint front door.
Clean or replace front door matt.
Clean pool if you have one.
Organise / tidy garage.
Remove Car out of driveways and from directly out front of the home

Preparing your home for sale

•  Trim the lawns and tidy the garden. This will be a prospective buyer’s first impression of your home. Make it a good one.
• Shampoo the carpets. You may be surprised at how much more “life” they have after a good cleaning. The brighter everything is the better for selling.
• A once over for the walls. Grubby little hand marks may be an unpleasant fact but they’re some of the worst offenders in taking the edge off an otherwise attractive home.  You will be rewarded!
• Check the guttering. It’s an easy point for buyers to spot so one to watch out for. Make sure there are no leaves hanging over the edge, no peeling paint, or water stains. In addition, while you’re at it why not brush under the eaves for cobwebs?
• Clean out the garage and shed. They’re the places where you’ve thrown unwanted goods over the years. It makes sense to have a clean out now, because good storage space is always an important selling point.
• Open the windows. The brighter the rooms the better, so always leave blinds and curtains open. Clean windows and insect screens to let in more light.
• Flowers set the scene. You put flowers out for visitors. A prospective purchaser is a very important visitor.
• The kitchen and laundry. Special attention needs to be paid to these areas. Clean the oven, polish the sink, and give your cupboards a clean.
• The Ray White sign. We’ll advise you on the best location for maximum effect.