Outdoor Checklist: Preparing For an Open House

05/28/2019M

Selling a home can be a stressful experience but it doesn’t have to be! You can easily alleviate some of the headaches of the home selling process. Open houses are a great way to showcase your home with potential buyers coming through your door. Make sure to do these outdoor items before your open house so that interested buyers will want to make an offer on your home:

Keep It Mowed

Having a lush and well-kept lawn is one of the simplest landscaping elements that can inmcrease resale value to a property. Initial impressions are important in selling a home and one of the first things that potential buyers will notice is the front lawn. Make sure to mow your lawn the day before an open house in order to keep an overall fresh look. Allowing your lawn to grow too long may deter some buyers or even subconsciously cause them to discount their potential offer. If you can’t make time to mow the lawn before the open house consider hiring a lawn care service to do it for you in order to get top dollar for your home.

Clear It Away

Whether it is leaves, weeds, or trash that blew into your yard, make sure that your lawn is in top condition at the start of an open house. Rake leaves and clear away debris that has gone unnoticed for far too long. Pick up sticks that may have fallen from a recent storm and make sure to kill and remove all weeds in the lawn and garden beds in order to leave a good impression. Do a thorough overview of your lawn before an open house to make sure that things have been picked up and put away.

Add Some Color

Invite potential buyers into your home by addinga pop of color near the front door. A simple pot with bright flowers will leave a positive impression on those entering your home. You may also consider adding a few planters near walkways to subtly welcome potential buyers.

Light It Up

Most open houses are planned in the afternoon where lighting most likely won’t be needed, but that doesn’t mean that you should ignore your outdoor lighting. Update your outdoor patio lights that will look sharp even without the lights on. Or consider adding walkway lighting that adds a safety feature to the home. Solar pathway lights are easy to install and are also energy efficient.

Fix the Small Things

Could your mailbox use a coat of paint? Is there a ripped window screen that needs to be replaced? Be sure to do these things prior to an open house. Other areas that are easily overlooked include a rust spot on the front door or a lightbulb that is burnt out on the patio lighting. These small projects are easy to forget when trying to sell a home but may become detractors for potential buyers. Make sure that everything is in tip top condition so that potential buyers will see only the good parts of your home.

A RE/MAX agent can make sure your home is in great condition to show to potential buyers at an open house. 

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