10 Steps to Preparing for an Open House

1. Hire a cleaning service. A spotlessly clean home (and windows!) is essential; dirt will turn off a prospect faster than anything. Avoid heavily scented cleaning products, potpourri or other materials...some people are allergic to these fragrances.

2. Mow your lawn. Put away unsightly items: be sure toys, garbage cans and yard equipment is put away. Add color to your entrance with seasonal wreaths or potted flowers. Consider repainting your front door to freshen its appearance.

3. Serve cookies, coffee, and soft drinks. It creates a welcoming touch. But be sure the kitchen has been cleaned up; use disposable cups so the sink doesn't fill up.

4. Lock up your valuables, jewelry, and money. Although the real estate salesperson will be on site during the open house, it's impossible to watch everyone all the time.

5. To create a feeling of spaciousness, rigorously remove items on kitchen and bathroom counters as well as on furniture.

6. Pack away highly personal items. These include guns, animal trophies, religious articles and large collections that create visual "clutter". They are precious to you, but your home has changed from an expression of your beliefs and hobbies to an item for sale to the public--let them be able to imagine the house as theirs.

7. Open all the blinds and curtains. Turn on all the lights, and possibly light candles. Even in the daytime, incandescent lights add sparkle.

8. Turn the radio on low to a station that plays soft jazz or classical music.

9. Send your pets to a neighbor or take them outside. If that's not possible, crate them or confine them to one room (a basement or garage), and put a sign on the door where they are being kept. This is especially important with dogs, because many people fear dogs or their eager jumping.

10. Control temperature. Keep the house warm in winter, cool in summer.

11. Leave. It's awkward for prospective buyers to look in your closets and express their opinions of your home with you there.