Open House Guide for Sellers
The morning-of open house checklist.
The bigger prep — declutter, paint, landscaping — happens in the days before. This page is just the last few hours: what to clean, what to hide, what to light up, and how to walk out the door. Whether you’re listed with an agent or hosting yourself, the routine is the same.
Whoever is hosting — your listing agent, Dana, or you — will usually arrive about an hour before the open house starts to set up signs, print flyers, and greet early buyers. Your side of this list should be finished before they walk in the front door.
Give yourself at least two hours the morning of, plus a fifteen-minute buffer to actually leave the house. Buyers show up early. Sellers who are still packing the car when the first buyer arrives set a rushed, awkward tone that’s hard to recover from.
Clean & reset
Clean enough that it feels fresh.
Not a deep clean — that happens the day before. This is a top-layer reset so every surface a buyer looks at reads as clean, cared for, and ready.
- 01
Quick top-to-bottom clean
Wipe kitchen and bathroom counters, mirrors, and glass. Vacuum high-traffic rugs. Sweep or Swiffer hard floors. It doesn't need to be deep — it needs to look and feel fresh.
- 02
Counters hold no more than 3 items
Kitchen and bathroom. Coffee maker + fruit bowl + one plant. In the bath, soap + hand towel + a small plant or diffuser. Everything else goes in a drawer or a bin under the sink.
- 03
Toilet lids down, and flushed
Every toilet, every bathroom. Lids closed. Nothing sitting on the tank or the back of the toilet.
- 04
Empty every trash can, take the bags out to the bin
Kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, office. Then take the outside trash cans out of view of the driveway if pickup isn't that day.
- 05
Beds made, throw pillows up
Every bed in the house. Not just the primary. Fold blankets, straighten pillows, clear nightstands to one lamp and one book.
Scent & air
Clean air beats scented air.
Buyers should walk in and smell nothing. If they smell something, it should be light and unmistakably natural — a hint of lemon, not a wall of vanilla.
- 01
No strong scents or heavy odors
Skip plug-ins, incense, heavy candles, and anything floral or vanilla. Buyers read them as 'covering something up' — even when they aren't.
- 02
Light citrus is okay
A lemon quarter down the garbage disposal, a light lemon or eucalyptus simmer, or a subtle citrus soap in the kitchen and bath. That's it. Clean air always beats scented air.
- 03
Do a nose walk-through 30 minutes before
Walk in through the front door as if you're a buyer. Pets, trash, last night's dinner — anything you notice, a buyer will notice louder.
- 04
Crack a window for 10 minutes if the weather allows
Fresh air resets the whole house better than any spray. Close windows before buyers arrive so the HVAC keeps a comfortable temperature.
Secure personal items
If it’s valuable or personal, it goes away.
An open house means strangers in the home. Most are honest buyers. A few are not. Assume every drawer will be opened — because some of them will be — and prep accordingly.
- 01
No money, wallets, or checkbooks left out
Not on the counter, not on the dresser, not in the desk. Anywhere.
- 02
No jewelry, watches, or small valuables visible
Move it all into a locked safe, a locked car, or take it with you. Assume anything visible is at risk.
- 03
Prescription medications put away
Off the bathroom counter, off the nightstand, out of the medicine cabinet if the cabinet is a common spot buyers open. Lock it in a drawer or take it with you.
- 04
Personal documents out of sight
Mail, tax paperwork, bank statements, kids' school records, passports. Buyers open drawers and cabinets — assume they will.
- 05
Firearms secured and out of view
In a locked safe. Not on a nightstand, not in a closet, not under a bed.
- 06
Family photos and name tags put away
Kids' names on artwork, chore charts, or bedroom doors — take them down. Buyers do not need to know who lives in the home.
- 07
Personal calendars and schedules off the fridge and walls
Anything that tells a stranger when the house is empty needs to be out of sight.
Lights & blinds
Every light on. Every blind open.
Bright homes photograph better, tour better, and feel bigger. This is the single easiest way to make your home compete with newer, more updated listings.
- 01
Every light in the house on
Overheads, lamps, under-cabinet lights, vanity lights, exterior porch lights — even during the day.
- 02
Closet lights on too
Every closet with a light gets switched on. Buyers open closets, and a dark closet reads as smaller than it is.
- 03
All blinds and curtains fully open
Even the ones you normally leave halfway. Natural light makes rooms feel larger and cleaner in every single showing.
- 04
Replace any burned-out bulbs
Walk the house the day before with a spare bulb pack. Match color temperature — mixed warm and cool bulbs in one room looks amateur.
Pets
Pets leave with you. No exceptions if possible.
Even the friendliest dog changes how buyers move through a home. Many buyers are allergic, afraid, or just uncomfortable with animals — and they won't linger.
- 01
Take pets with you
Dogs go with you in the car, to a friend's, or to daycare for the day. Cats go to a bedroom at a friend's or a family member's if possible.
- 02
If pets absolutely must stay, contain and disclose
Crate in the garage or a locked bedroom with a clear sign on the door. Tell Dana in advance so it's on the sign-in sheet. Some buyers won't tour a home with any animal present, so this is a distant second choice.
- 03
Food bowls, beds, toys, and litter boxes hidden
Into the garage or a closed closet. The home should not look like a pet lives there, even if one does.
- 04
Vacuum pet hair one more time before you leave
Couches, rugs, stairs, and any spot the pet naps. Lint roller for fabric surfaces.
Final walk-out
Last fifteen minutes, then get out.
This is the part that separates a smooth open house from a rushed one. Do it in the same order every time and it becomes a five-minute routine.
- 01
Vehicles moved off the driveway and out of the curb view
Park around the block or at a neighbor's. Buyers should see the front of the home clearly from the street.
- 02
Front porch swept, welcome mat straight
This is the first thing every buyer sees. Sweep spider webs off the porch light and the front door frame.
- 03
Set the thermostat to comfortable
68-72 in winter, 72-74 in summer. Too hot or too cold and buyers cut the visit short.
- 04
Soft music, low volume
Optional but nice. Instrumental, classical, or acoustic playlist on a phone or smart speaker. Skip anything with lyrics.
- 05
Leave the house 15 minutes before the open house starts
Don't be there. Not in the garage, not in the backyard, not in a car out front. Buyers won't say what they really think if the seller is in earshot.
Skip these
Common morning-of mistakes.
- Baking cookies right before — it dates the home and reads as staged.
- Lighting three candles in every room. Two total in the whole house, unlit, is plenty.
- Leaving the TV on to 'add life.' It's a distraction and a power draw.
- Locking a room and telling buyers not to go in. It kills trust.
- Hanging out in the backyard 'just in case.' Buyers see you through the kitchen window and cut the tour short.
- Leaving a note about not touching things. It reads as anxious. Let whoever is hosting handle the walk-through.
A note
This checklist improves presentation and first impressions. It doesn’t guarantee a sale, a specific price, or that any particular buyer will make an offer. Market conditions, pricing, location, and buyer demand drive outcomes.
Next step
Need help hosting the open house?
If you’re selling on your own, Dana will host your open house for free. If you already have a listing agent, hand them this checklist — it’s the same routine that works either way.
