1. Prep the home with a deep clean and decluttering checklist. Clean windows, mirrors, floors, kitchen, bathrooms, and remove magnets. Declutter by removing personal items, clearing counters, and organizing closets.

2. Stage your home like a pro by adding neutral decor, using throw pillows, fresh flowers, or a bowl of fruit for warmth. Set the dining table like you’re expecting guests and open curtains or blinds to maximize natural light. Use soft lighting in darker rooms.

3. Handle repairs and minor updates, such as fixing leaky faucets, squeaky doors, cracked tiles, patch holes, repainting walls with neutral colors, and replacing outdated light fixtures or hardware. Remove pets (and signs of them) and take them off-site during the open house.

4. Make it easy to visit by parking your car down the street or out of sight, leaving plenty of room in the driveway for guests, and having clear signage to guide visitors.

5. Market the open house on platforms like Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, Facebook Marketplace, local Facebook groups, Craigslist, neighborhood apps (Nextdoor), and custom flyers or signs around the area.

6. Create a welcoming atmosphere by offering light music, open windows, clean-scented candles, and light refreshments.

7. Prepare information for buyers by giving them something to take home, including a property flyer with photos, price, features, contact info, upgrades, recent renovations, local schools, shopping, parks, and HOA or tax info.

8. Leave the property during the open house to allow buyers to ask questions and explore freely without the seller present. Let your agent handle it or a trusted friend if you’re FSBO.

9. Follow up promptly by getting feedback from your agent or guest sign-in sheet, tweaking price, staging, or marketing, and reaching out to interested buyers or agents who attended.