12 TIPS TO GET YOUR HOME READY FOR AN OPEN HOUSE

Putting your home on the market can seem like a monumental task. If you get stuck wondering what to do with a lifetime of personal items and stand there procrastinating instead of getting the task done, you are not alone. Villa Real Estate agents Shana Spitzer and Laura Roche, along with high-end interior designer Diana Tomei, compiled their top tips to make your to-do list easier!

According to Shana Spitzer and Laura Roche, “First impressions are everything when it comes to buyers. The buyer has to envision themselves in the home.” Here is how to get your home buyer-ready before your open house:

1. Curb Appeal is critical. Refresh landscaping and repair broken lights.

?2. De-Clutter and simplify each room, starting with flat surfaces such as coffee tables, book shelves, desks, and bedside tables.

?3. Create as much of a neutral palette as possible. For example, paint colored walls a neutral color such as white, light grey or a light tan.

?4. Fix what is broken, such as replace torn screens.?

5. Replace old carpet, repair wood floors, and clean grout on stone floors.

6. Get the windows washed.

As an interior designer, the details matter. Diana Tomei shares her interior designer insider tips to give your home an edge at open houses:

1. Look at each surface in the room and reduce what's on top of it by at least half.?

2. Put personal photos away.?

3. Light a candle at your entry. Makes people entering feel anticipated and welcomed.?

4. Remove dog/cat feeding bowls, and any pet paraphernalia.

?5. Fresh flowers! A small investment, but one or two small arrangements in the right spots can make a big difference.?

6. Think of your home as more than just a structure. Think of it as a lifestyle. Give potential homeowners the experience of "how" it would feel to live in the house, not just what the house looks like.

Check out some examples of these tips being put into practice in Shana and Laura's listing at 4 Colonial Drive in Newport Beach.