5 Ways to a Stress-less Open for Inspection

Having your home opened for everyone to inspect can be just as stressing as having people look in your dirty linen basket.

Yes, people will judge. However, you have to remember that it isn’t you they are judging – it is your home.

1)    Plan well in advance. Make sure that you have timed your open for inspection for a time that suits you. If your children have sports on Saturdays, it is your only sleep in, or you have babies’ sleep patterns you have to work around, make sure you discuss these with your real estate agent and agree on a good time for all.

2)    Once a time has been agreed on, allow plenty of time to clean, tidy and get your home in tip-top condition. Well-presented houses sell well and the less time your home is on the market, the fewer opens you will have to prepare for.

3)    Before your first open for inspection, prepare the house inside and out and put plans in place for other members of the household to keep the pristine throughout the process. It is a lot easier to do it once and then perform ongoing maintenance, than having to start from scratch for every inspection. So, de-clutter, de-clutter and de-clutter and don’t let the mess return.

4)    Have a cupboard set aside to store your ‘open for inspection’ paraphernalia such as towels, soaps, ornaments and other special items you use to spruce up your property. Make sure you put them away straight after the inspection so they can be readily located next time.

5)    If you have children, send them out a couple of hours before the open time – this ensures you have the dedicated space to finish any last minute cleaning and the house can look really ‘schmick’. Make sure the pets are out of the way as well – it’s amazing how quickly our four-legged friends can destroy any recently pristine arrangements, let alone any new toilet stops!