Reggie's Rules for Showings and Open Houses

The goal with the following suggestions is to maximize the best features of your home.  These tips should not be viewed as a critique of the way we live our lives or choose to decorate our homes.  Rather, they are things one must consider when making the transition from “living” in a home to “showing” a home for sale. 

1. De-clutter:  The problem with clutter is that, because we become use to our surroundings, what we see as “our stuff”, buyers will see as clutter.  That “stuff” – stacks of mail, magazines, chotchkeys, photographs, vacation souvenirs, toys – is visual clutter, and it will make your apartment appear smaller, thereby giving a buyer a reason to make a lower offer.
   
   Tip: Buy one or two attractive, inexpensive storage boxes that fit in with the décor of your home.  You can now find them in faux leather, linen, toile prints, etc., in a variety of colors.  You can quickly grab and stuff these boxes with mail, newspapers, coloring books, etc. that might have accumulated on the floor or dining room table.  And because the boxes match your décor, you don’t have to hide them.  (Note however, that they will take up valuable floor or closet space.)  For children’s toys, make an arrangement with a neighbor to store them in his apartment during your open house.

2. Reclaim Lost Space: Take all the things you are going to sell or give away when you move, and go ahead and get rid of those things now.  The goal is to gain floor, closet and counter space.  If you still have too many things, you may need to store some things. Be creative.  Small items can be stored under a bed, in the trunk of your car or at your place of business if you have a private office.  If you need even more space, consider renting a storage unit for a few months.  Things you may want to store include: off-season clothes, excess and/or oversized furniture, seasonal decorations, even excess videos, books and CDs – anything that eats up valuable space and therefore eats into your profit.  A storage unit that is large enough to hold boxes and furniture can be rented for as little as $130 - $180/month.  Some mini storage companies even offer either a free move or a free truck.

Tip:  Many dry cleaners offer free, offsite box storage.  Why not get all your off season clothes cleaned, and let them keep it?  Be sure to make a list of the things you send (or even take pictures), and keep your claim tickets in a safe location.

3. De-personalize:  Remove and store away small personal items that are too specific to your tastes – photographs, vacation mementos etc. (how can a buyer imagine her collection of ceramic frogs on that shelf if it’s filled with your jars of colored sand from all the beaches you’ve visited over the last 20 years?)  Seriously, you want buyers to imagine their items in your home.  (Again, you will have to pack up these things anyway, so why not get a jump on it?)  Don’t forget to remove notes, calendars, photographs and children’s artwork – from the refrigerator.

4. Minimize visible appliances: Have no more than one appliance out on your kitchen counter to show buyers how much counter space there really is.  Remember, they are buying your square footage, not your toaster, coffee maker, and electric can opener.
   
   Tip: Buy disposable kitchen/bathroom wipes so you can give those areas a quick hit right before prospective buyers come over.  Use micro fiber rags to dust wood surfaces, quickly.
   
   
5. Zen-i-fy your Bathroom: Everyone wants a spa bathroom today, but most New York bathrooms fall far short of that.  You can move closer to that ideal by removing all extraneous items from your bathroom counter, vanity and medicine cabinet.  Unify all the decorative pieces (tissue box, soap dispenser, hand towels, etc.) with one neutral color and style.  For example, rather than using striped towels, a chrome lotion dispenser and a wicker basket to hold soaps, try solid color towels with matching leather, wood or brown tone decorative pieces.  Avoid scented candles as people have very strong reactions to scents, and you don’t want to risk causing a negative reaction.
   
   Tip: One thing that might be overlooked when cleaning is the need to neutralize everyday household odors.  If your home has been sealed tight, as many are during the winter and summer months, open the windows and let it air out for at least 2 hours.  On days when you are showing the apartment (and the day before), avoid cooking heavily spiced meals and odiferous foods like fish.  Finally, don’t forget to take out the trash and to eliminate pet odors.
   
   
6. Let there be light (and comfort): Open window draperies and shades to let in light.  Keep the house at a comfortable temperature for the average person.  (If all your friends complain that you keep your home too cold/hot, turn up the heat/air when showing the house.) 

This is more or less how you should try to maintain your home for as long as you are showing it.  For some people, especially those with children and pets, it’s not an easy task; so you should choose to do those things that make sense for you and your family.  But if you’re having an open house, that’s your opportunity to make a favorable impression on many buyers at one time, so you should try to incorporate as many of these suggestions as possible for that occasion.  Then, you can relax – just a little – for individual showings.  This is very type of advice that a broker would give you, but we don’t charge you 6% of your profit!