Open House checklist for Sellers

OUTSIDE:

¨ Trim all shrubs
¨ Pull weeds Maintain flowerbed
¨ Rake lawn clear of leaves
¨ Water lawn to keep green.
¨ Discard or store all materials & debris not part of the lawn decor
¨ Wash all window surfaces
¨ Sweep garage and clear clutter
¨ In wintertime, all walkways & driveways should be shoveled & salted


LIGHTING:


¨ Open all shades and draperies during daylight hours
¨ Replace all burnt-out light bulbs with the high-wattage bulbs
¨ Turn on all lights throughout the house and basement prior to showing


STORAGE:

¨ Store away all clothing & other items not contributing to décor
¨ All closets should be tidy and organized
¨ Basement storage areas should be neatly arranged
¨ Kitchen counters should be clean & free of any articles not contributing to the decor
¨ All magazines, books, ashtrays, food, bottles, containers, boxes, cans, toys, hobby accessories, tools, dishes, cookware, etc. should be stored in the proper cupboards or closets or storage areas.

CLOSETS:

¨ Interiors of all closets should present a tidy & uncluttered appearance
¨ All unneeded or unused items should be discarded
¨ Display your storage and utility space by removing all unnecessary accumulations in attic, stairways, basement, closets & garage.

WINDOWS:

¨ All windows should be spotless
¨ All window sills should be clean & free of any flaking paint
¨ All windows should be in good repair with no cracks
¨ Screens should be clean & in good condition, free of rust & holes
¨ Any paint on glass should be removed with a razor blade prior to cleaning

FIXTURES:

¨ All bathroom and kitchen fixtures & counters should be clean
¨ Polish chrome faucets and handles in the tub and sinks
¨ All sinks, tubs, toilets and counters should be clean
FLOORS:

¨ All flooring should be clean & waxed if necessary
¨ All carpeting should be clean, regardless of age
¨ Steam-clean carpet (if not done in more than 2 years)
¨ Basement floors should be swept and mopped
DOORS:

¨ All doors should be free of scotch tape, posters, decals or stickers
¨ All door handles should be clean and in good repair


CERAMIC TILE:

¨ All joints between tiles should be clean and white
¨ Use DAP bathroom tile sealer to reseal the joint between bathtub and wall and floor


WALLS:

¨ All walls should be clean and free of gouges, scratches, smudges, scotch tape, posters, thumbtacks, etc.
¨ Walls should only have decorative items
¨ Posters and pictures taped to walls should be removed along with evidence of all tape markings


ODOR:

¨ On warm days, open up windows and shades
¨ Make your home feel and smell bright, fresh & clean