Open day tips please!

[WorrisomeHeart]

We're having an open day for our flat in about 3 weeks time. Before then I will obviously be making sure it's as clean and decluttered as it has ever been and I've got DH working his way through the post DIY snagging list. But what about on the day itself? Obviously it's the EA who's running it so I don't have too much option to do the whole bread baking/coffee brewing/cinnamon sticks in the oven thing. Any suggestions for what I CAN do to help sell the property? What do you hate seeing at open days? TIA!

Leave the flat as clean, tidy and uncluttered as you can, then go out when the EA arrives and leave them to it.

I would also remove any personal photos that are on the walls or surfaces. If you have got a lot of things like pictures and ornaments, cut that down to a minimum. If you've got a hobby which means a room is full of certain items, try and pack them away, so a bedroom looks like a bedroom, not like a roomful of guitars or whatever. it distracts people and make it look cluttered and harder to imagine being used for its proper purpose.

If it's clean, tidy and not messy or cluttered and the owners are out, I can't think of anything I'd hate seeing.

lock away or remove valuables. Beyond that - clean, tidy and smelling of nothing except fresh air.

Oh thanks, that's really helpful. I've heard about the photos thing before - is it really a big deal? I've got a couple in lovely frames on the mantelpiece and bookshelf and one on the wall, should they all go?

Well it's one of those things that professionals always mention, because they say you want the viewer to think of the house as potentially theirs and imagine their stuff in it, not see it as your house. Personally if I viewed a house with a big family photo on the wall my mind would probably ramble down the route of "oh look, there's a photo of them and their kids" instead of "this is a good sized living room, great for our settees". So it can be distracting.

I packed away our photos before putting our house on the market. Where I'd had big framed photos on the walls and there was a dirty mark blank space, I put framed scenic prints up instead.

I also felt uncomfortable at the thought of people looking around the whole of my house - it felt very intrusive - and I found it helped that I'd taken personal things down first. I tried to think of it as a house I was selling rather than my home. I didn't really want people going in my bedroom, but I boxed up all the little knick knacks and left all the surfaces bare except for flowers and it felt less like they were going in my personal bedroom, more like Bedroom 2 lol.

Another reason is your own privacy. My house is on rightmove and in some photos you can clearly see pictures on the walls. If I'd left framed photos there, you'd be able to see those instead. So if you have a blown up photo on the wall of you in a bikini sunbathing on a beach, you might be sharing it with more people than you'd choose to.

flowers and the smell of fresh air.

Remove all clutter and photos. (Put in boot of car if necessary)

Ensure there are no pets around.

One owner around to answer questions unless you are happy with agent doing so. Otherwise send everyone out for the day.

Clean fluffy towels in bathroom. All day to day toiletries out of sight maybe a couple of special ones on show. Ensure work tops in the kitchen are clean and there is washing up on view. Make sure the bin is empty

Open all windows to air the property for a few hours prior to open day, buy fresh flowers.

Good lunch.

Luck

Bear in mind that many people are allergic to strong smelling flowers and have sneezing fits, so if anything, potted plants are better. But no big palm trees everywhere . Also some people are against cut flowers altogether.

I wouldn't remove ALL ornaments and photos - they make a place homely/warm rather than soulless, but agree with advice on no big blown up photos on walls.

Generally if the place is a good size and the area good, all this wouldn't matter much. It just needs to smeel quite fresh and look reasonably tidy. But if it needs all the help it can get, then yes, worth making an extra effort.

If you have an expensive scented candle, I'd lit it up before the viewings start but just for a SHORT time, so it's not intense. Choose either a cinnamon one or something with fresh cirtus/berries, which most people like. It can take the edge off the 'lived-in' smell that any house has, which you might not be aware of.

Thanks everyone, that really helpful! Have just been asked for a viewing before the photos even go online so will be using these tips somewhat sooner than expected - eek!