Be a bit less open
Keep personal items out of sight for home showings
When you’re looking to sell some real estate, all your home’s a stage and each tchotchke must play a part. That means you can keep generic items in the mix but anything that’s overly personal — think family photos or religious decor — has to stay out of sight.
Of course, home stagers have been preaching that message for years. And yet, people still forget to stow away two key categories of things before they open their doors to the house-buying public.
First, nix anything that smacks of your morning bathroom routine.
“All personal items in the bathroom such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair brushes and makeup really need to be hidden during an open house,” Rhonda Conchola, founder and creative director of Home Staging for Houston, told Apartment Therapy. “It is also imperative that all floor mats in the bathroom be removed during an open house.”
Instead, she says, put it all in a basket or caddy that can hide under the sink or in a nearby linen closet. As is the aim in all home staging, you want people to imagine their own personal items filling the space — not yours.
The second group of belongings is pet toys. Sorry, animal lovers. Even the cutest cat or dog may have soiled the carpets irreparably or leached their odour into the atmosphere, and you don’t want prospective owners wondering what not-so-cute pet souvenirs await them should they buy.
“Before an open house, I notice that homeowners forget to put away pet food bowls, dog beds and pet toys,” Susan Evans of The Omaha Home Staging Co., told Apartment Therapy. “I tell them, ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ for pets is best for showings and open houses.”
Her advice is to stash all pet-related items in a separate area during the open house, and air out the rooms where Mr. Snugglepants spends the most time — and therefore could’ve done the most damage.
Here’s a quick hack for pet odours, courtesy of realtor.com: Sprinkle a layer of baking soda on the carpet and let it stand for a few minutes before vacuuming. And don’t forget to use a special attachment to suck up any pet hair lying around on rugs or furnishings.
The site also recommends brushing your pets every day for about five minutes to cut down on both loose hair and smells.