How to Prepare for an Open Inspection

Properly preparing a home for open inspection is vitally important in order to maximise your sale price. But it can be particularly tricky. If you’ve owned a home for a long time, it can be difficult to view it with fresh eyes. Plus, how do you know if your opinion on the home matches the opinion of your most potentially lucrative buyer?

It’s important to showcase your home’s best qualities and make it look as presentable, livable and appealing as possible. The better it looks, the more it’ll be perceived to be worth and the more money you’ll get for it when you sell.

Here are a few considerations to take into account when you’re preparing your home for an open inspection. While the personal tastes of the individual buyers will always be a factor, these universally appealing tips will help to make your house a standout to just about anyone:

Mood

Create a comfortable and inviting atmosphere in your home. It should feel warm and pleasant. It should be somewhere you can look forward to going after a long day at work or a long night out with friends and family.

Warm colours, cleanliness, pleasant smells and brightly lit rooms will make all the difference here. The home should be pristinely clean, giving off the feeling that it will be simple to maintain. Windows should be open and spotless, allowing natural light to fill the space.

Setting

Similar to mood, the setting is more about the specifics within the home itself. Look to your five senses and make the home appealing to all.

Opening windows an hour prior to inspection will clear out the musty smell the house might build up as dust accumulates. If you’re particularly ambitious, baking cookies or lighting incense will leave an even more enticing aroma.

Finally, setting a comfortable temperature and putting on some non-offensive, non-polarising music can help make the experience more pleasant for inspectors.

Accessories

Ultimately, you want the house to be as sparse as possible. Homeowners should be able to envision their lives unfolding in the home. It should be a blank canvas for their imaginations.

However, there are a few things you can set up in the home to make it more universally appealing. Fresh flowers on the coffee table or dining table can add to the experience. Electrical appliances should all be switched off, and any art on the walls should be straight and non-polarising.

Mortgage House

At Mortgage House, we’re no strangers to the homeowner’s journey. It’s a long (but rewarding) one.

But don’t worry, we can help with that.

If you’re thinking of buying a new home after you sell, you can contact us for advice about the best options for you when it comes to your mortgage. The cost of your mortgage can drastically affect your financial planning, so it pays to speak to the experts about it.

Click here to speak to us!