How to run your own open home

• Declutter every room. Box up what you won't use in the next few weeks. Buyers open cupboards, so tidy those too.
• Put away family photos and personal items. Buyers need to picture their own life in the house.
• Fix the small things: blown bulbs, dripping taps, squeaky doors, scuffed paint.
• Deep clean the kitchen, the bathrooms and the windows.
• Mow the lawns, weed the garden and wash the front door. First impressions are made from the street.
• Put together an information pack: rates, your valuation, and any LIM or building report you have.

• Everyone else leaves, pets included. You host; the rest of the household goes out.
• Lock away valuables, medication, keys and documents. You can't watch every room.
• Open every curtain and turn on every light, even in daytime.
• Get the house to a comfortable temperature.
• Move the cars so buyers can see the driveway and park out front.
• Put your open home sign at the gate.

Greet everyone at the door and ask them to sign in with their name, phone number and email. That's how you follow up, and it tells you who has been through your home.

Then let them look on their own. Don't follow people from room to room. Stay near the entrance or the kitchen and let them come to you with questions.

Answer honestly. If you don't know something, say you'll find out. Never hide a problem you know about. Misleading a buyer can come back on you after the sale.

Be friendly, but keep your position to yourself. Don't share:

• why you're selling, or how soon you need to move
• where you're buying next
• the lowest price you'd take
• how many offers you have, or haven't had

Any of these weakens your hand later. “We're open to offers” is all you need to say. There's more on this in how to negotiate offers.

Bring the sign in, then walk through the house and check every door, window and shed is locked. Email your visitors that day to thank them, and phone them within a day or two. Most sales come from the follow-up, not from the open home itself.

Keep an eye on who comes and goes, and don't leave anyone alone with valuables. Have a second adult with you if you'd feel more comfortable. If something feels wrong, you can end the open home early. For private viewings, get the person's name and phone number before you agree a time.