So you decided to sell your house. That means it's time to start setting up showings! But, how do you prepare your home for potential buyers? We're here to give you our favorite tips for preparing to show your home!
You might think your house is perfect as is, or feel hopeful that buyers will see past a few cosmetic issues and appreciate the house for its good bones. Regardless of where you fall on the homeownership spectrum, most houses benefit from a bit of a facelift before inviting potential buyers to walk through.
Plus, don't you want to do everything you can to get top dollar for your house?
Here's a step-by-step guide to preparing your home for showings.
|
![]() |
Tips for Showing Your House: Room by Room
Getting Your House in Order
Before you start deep cleaning (don't worry, that's coming next!), you'll need to declutter and do a bit of rearranging. This part of preparation is all about making sure your house is free from clutter, and that each room feels open and inviting.
Some tips for decluttering your home before a showing include:
Minimize what's left out. Less is more. Do a walkthrough of your entire house. In each room, put away anything you haven't used in a long time, or anything that isn't absolutely necessary to have out. By decluttering each room, you'll have less to clean for each showing!
Rearrange furniture to give the illusion of more space. Removing or rearranging furniture can make a huge difference in how large (or small) your home feels. For example, maybe you could do without four bookshelves in the office, or that couch nobody ever sits on. If you don't want to completely get rid of furniture, it might be worth renting a storage unit where you can keep larger pieces of furniture until your house sells.
Clear out space to walk. Walk through your house as if you've never been there before. Can you easily navigate without bumping into any furniture? Does it feel cramped? Or does it feel nice and open? If it feels too tight, remove more furniture until there are clear pathways in each room.
It's All About the Details
Now that you've cleared out clutter and rearranged, it's time to focus on how the house looks (and smells!).
Here's what you need to pay attention to:
Artwork. Take a look at your walls: are they full of artwork or posters? Do they feel too bare? What always looks really great in homes is one strong piece of artwork in each room. The larger the artwork the better, as it helps create space. Take down anything that feels too busy and add artwork to rooms that are missing it.
Repair holes in the walls. If you're taking anything off the walls to prepare your home for a showing, make sure to patch up any holes that are left.
Throw up a new coat of paint (if you want!). This step might not be so optional if you repaired a ton of holes in your walls, but now is the time to paint! If you already wanted to paint your walls, this is a great chance to do so.
Add greenery. Yes, we're talking houseplants. We typically recommend one or two per room to provide a strong balance.
Create proper lighting. Take a look at the lighting in your house, especially at night. Are there any rooms with dark corners? A strategically placed lamp can really add to the positive energy of a room.
Remove odors. It's easy to go nose blind living in your own home, especially when you have pets. Ask a friend how they feel about the smell in your house, and utilize candles, essential oils, or wall diffusers as needed. If you have time before a showing, you could even bake a fresh batch of cookies or brew some coffee to give your home an inviting smell.
Ok, so you've decluttered and made sure each room has the proper artwork, greenery, lighting, and scents. What's next? Well, this part isn't as fun. Now, it's time for a deep cleaning!
Preparing Your Kitchen for a House Showing
You might have already decluttered your kitchen during that initial phase. If you did, good job! If you didn't yet? Well, box up and put away any small appliances, dishes, or cookware that isn't absolutely necessary.
You might have to make do with a smaller pots and pans inventory for a few weeks, but it's all for the sake of keeping your house beautiful!
Here's a checklist for preparing your kitchen:
Deep clean the kitchen. Next, it's time to clean your kitchen. Scrub down the countertops and backsplash. Also, pay special attention to your grout if you have tile in your kitchen – it might be worth renting a steam cleaner for this part.
Replace worn-out burners on your stove. If your stove isn't in the shape it once was (it's ok, it happens), you can easily replace any worn-out burner pans.
Remove personal effects. Take down any personal items in your kitchen, especially anything on your fridge, such as kid's drawings, grocery lists, phone numbers, and magnets.
Organize everything. Organize your pantry, cabinets, and countertops. Instead of feeling messy, your kitchen will look pristine.
Don't forget to clean your appliances too! Break down dust and grease by cleaning off your stove, microwave, fridge, and oven.
Prepping Your Living Room for a House Showing
The first order of business for your living room? Clear off all of the surfaces! This includes coffee tables, side tables, shelves, TV stands, fireplaces, mantles – everything! Set them aside for now.
Once everything is cleared off, you're going to give every inch of your living room a deep clean. Wipe and dust off shelves, tables, and entertainment stands.
Now that all of your furniture is nice and clean, you can tastefully redecorate with what you already had up:
Don't let it get too cluttered – only keep out what is necessary
Don't leave out anything that's highly personal, such as family photos. You want potential buyers to imagine their own family in this home
Do add a few decorations. Ideally, you'll have one or two pieces of art on the wall, nice lighting, and a plant or two
If you have kids who leave their toys around, try to confine them to a bin or toy chest you can quickly throw them into before each house showing. Kids' toys are some of the worst culprits for a messy living room.
How to Prep Your Bedroom for a House Showing
Preparing your bedroom for house showings can be one of the most stressful parts since it's your most personal space.
Here are a few tips:
Make your bed. Now would be the time to break out any "special occasion" bedding sets if you have them. If you don't, at the very least, make sure your bed is nicely made!
Organize your closet. Don't just shove everything in your closet when you clean up your bedroom(s). Buyers are going to open the doors to see what kind of space you're working with, so at least make them somewhat presentable and organized.
Remove personal items. Similar to what was recommended for your living room, we recommend removing highly personal items.
Deep clean every surface. Yes, this part applies to every single room in your home. You might not realize how dusty your nightstands get!
Store personal items and valuables somewhere safe. While your potential buyers will likely be accompanied by a real estate agent, you never know what could happen. We recommend making sure any valuables are kept somewhere safe.
Cleaning your bedroom doesn't mean shoving everything in your closet. Potential buyers almost always check out the closet space, so make sure it's organized enough to still show off the closet space!
Don't Forget About Your Bathrooms!
Similar to the rest of your house, make sure your bathroom is free of clutter. Also, we highly recommend giving your showers/bathtubs a nice deep clean, so they're sparkly and fresh for any potential buyers.
Hang up some fresh, well-folded towels, add a little greenery, and your bathroom is ready to go!
Need Help Prepping and Selling Your Home in Central NJ?
Listing your home with our NJ real estate agents gives you access to a high-performing team dedicated to marketing and showcasing your home's best qualities. And getting the highest possible price in the shortest amount of time, of course!
Ready to get started? Get a FREE market analysis by contacting us today!