The weather may be a bit gray and dreary, but there’s no reason that your house should be anything but glowing. While you may not want to put on a Griswold-level light display, borrow some of the holiday mentality and use light and warmth and maybe even a little celebration to create the right mood with these open house tips:
Clear a path: You know how hard it is to get yourself off the couch to go … well, do just about anything in the wintertime, so don’t underestimate the barrier that a little snow or ice might create on your sidewalk for potential buyers. Make it as easy as possible for people to trek to your open house and make sure that there’s nothing between them and your door.
Create a landing spot: When potential buyers walk into your home, don’t allow them to be distracted and confused about whether to remove shoes or where they should place a wet umbrella. Set aside a spot for removing shoes or slipping on shoe covers if that’s your preference, and provide a boot tray or other waterproof spot for wet items. Your house should not have any competition for everyone’s attention, so make your landing spot a convenient stop.
Light it up: Turn on every light in your house and make the most of your fireplace. You want to create a feeling of brightness and drown out any gray your guests may spot through the windows. If you have a fireplace, light it. Dani Beyer Real Estate offers home staging and we are ready to help you create the perfect atmosphere in your home.
Embrace hygge: Have you heard of the Danish concept of hygge? This word encompasses all things cozy and friendly and it can act as a nice guide for creating warmth in your home during the winter months. Take it from a country who kind of wrote the book on making something pleasant from a whole lotta winter.
Turn up the heat, but not too much. You don’t want people feeling like your house has a stuffy quality. Besides tuning the thermostat to the right temperature, you can create hygge in other ways, with candles or diffusers for warm scents, or with fuzzy throws on a couch or chair to make your home appear comfortable during the cold season.
Get festive: It’s a little harder to get out this time of year, so make it worth visitors’ while. Skip the store-bought cookie routine and get a little more creative with a hot chocolate bar (which will encourage potential buyers to stick around) or a tray of fancy appetizers. Choose crowd-pleasers that are also kid-friendly. You could also have a table where kids can color a winter scene, giving their parents the opportunity to ask questions or look a little more closely at your home.
For more open house tips for a fast wintertime sale, contact us at Dani Beyer Real Estate. We can help you create an atmosphere of hygge or create the perfect menu for a memorable open house.