MAKE YOUR OPEN HOME A SUCCESS
Open homes are an important way to catch the eye of potential buyers and invite them to fall in love with your property. Here are 10 top tips to ensure your home makes the right kind of first impression with house hunters.
1. De-personalise
Buyers want to picture themselves living in a property, so remove anything that’s too personal, like family photos.
2. De-clutter
Less is more. Remove ornaments that make the place feel cluttered, keep the kitchen benches clear and get rid of the pile of coats or shoes you usually keep by the front door.
3. Lighten up
Make the place feel open and inviting by turning the lights on and opening curtains and blinds. On a sunny day open doors leading to outdoor entertaining areas.
4. Think about the small things
Small touches can make all the difference. Remove your half-empty shampoo bottles from the shower, tuck away your toothbrushes, remove washing from the line and pop the toilet seat down.
5. Amp up the street appeal
Make the right kind of first impression by ensuring the front of your property is tidy and well presented. A fresh lick of paint on the front fence and waterblasting the front deck are easy ways of making the place look its best. Consider hiring some eye-catching potted plants to cost-effectively add a drop of style.
6. Clean up
It might seem obvious, but give the place a thorough spring clean. That includes organising the insides of your cupboards and wardrobes as house hunters will take a peek inside.
7. Think about your pets
Sure, your family loves Oscar the poodle, but potential buyers might not. Get the carpet shampooed to remove any odours and keep your pets off the property during open homes.
8. Make every room count
Buyers won’t be able to picture themselves hosting a dinner party if your dining room is piled high with storage boxes or filing cabinets. Make sure every room is selling itself. Put beds in all the bedrooms and clear out the “stuff” that has collected in your garage.
9. Fix everything on your “I’ll get around to it” list
Is the latch on the front gate broken? Does the lock on the bathroom door not work? Have old screws left holes in the wall? Patch up and repair the small issues around your home, so buyers see the property’s potential and not the list of DIY they’ll have to sign up to.
10. Home staging
Consider hiring a professional staging company to really bring your house to life. Interior design know-how goes a long way in making a home look its best. A statement couch and on-trend accessories can help your property feel more modern, increasing the emotional appeal of the property in the buyer’s mind.
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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36.3% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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63.7% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Scam Alert: Bank cold calls
ASB is warning customers about reports of cold calls from scammers claiming to be from ASB. These scammers are trying to obtain personal information, including usernames, dates of birth, and verification codes sent to your mobile phone.
🛡️ The "Caller Check" Test
If you get a call from someone claiming to be from ASB and you’re unsure, just ask them for a Caller Check. You will then be able to verify the call through the app.
Remember, banks will:
❌ Never ask for your banking passwords, PINs, or verification codes
❌ Never need to know your full credit card number – especially the CVC
❌ Never ask you to download software or remotely access your device
❌ Never ask you to purchase gift cards or transfer funds.
If you have received a phone call and think your account has been compromised, call ASB on 0800 ASB FRAUD (0800 272 372), or visit your local branch.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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