The very purpose of an open house is to show potential buyers just how great the home is — and how it sets itself apart from all the others. And here are a few hacks to get your home looking its best in the day of the open house:

Clean out the rugs. Clean them all the way out of the house.

Tidy floors are meant to be flaunted. If your home boasts hardwood floors, that’s a solid selling point and needs to be properly highlighted.

Best practices for staging an open house say to always remove rugs from the kitchen for a more clean and open look. That may ass well extend to the rest of the house, depending on the layout of the room, the state the floors are in, and how the rugs add to the visual appeal of the room. You can always go with a striped rug as the contrast of colors helps in building a better perspective. 

Added benefit: a stained carpet can be much more unappealing than a crack or dent in a wood floor.
– Check out Dan Dan The Carpet Man.

Pack away grandpa, the trophies, and your doll collection

We have a personal connection with all the photos, souvenirs, awards, and hobbies showcased in our homes. That’s why we keep them around, because they trigger happy memories or remind us of the loved ones in our lives.

But those are ours, and ours only. A buyer who walks into the home is more likely to see the room as crowded rather than admire our passion for antique dolls, for instance. Here’s what I mean.

Quickly Get Rid of Those Greasy Fingerprints in the Kitchen

Any house that’s actually been lived in bears the marks of greasy fingers. But buyers are looking for a home of their own to mark, so let’s help them by using this quick fix to get rid of them.

Take a piece of chalk, and rub it against the stains on the wall without pressing very hard. Leave the chalk there for about 5 minutes, then use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe away the chalk — and the stands will come off right along with it.

Time to Go Towel Shopping

Right after checking in at a hotel, I have the habit of going straight to the bathroom to check it out. And you know what’s one of the first things I look at when assessing the bathroom? The towels.

New, all-white towels are key in a bathroom that wants to pass the So Fresh & So Clean test. They give a sense of cleanness, while also appealing to our sense of comfort, at a negligible cost.  

You can even use a couple of them to give the guest room the same inviting feeling by placing a couple of towels on top of the bed covers.

Mailbox Your Way to a Great First Impression

Since it’s one of the first things your potential buyers will see, it may be worth a few minutes of your time when getting ready for an open house.

Given Boston’s forever-changing weather, your mailbox has been through some stuff. So maybe giving it a scrub — or even a fresh set of paint if you’re up for the extra mile — can smooth your way to a great first impression.
Author bio: Georgiana Mihaila is a writer on a quest to make home living more easy, one useful tip at a time. She writes for King of Maids.