How to Prepare for an Open House in Ankeny, Iowa
You’ve decided to sell your home, the listing is live and your Realtor has scheduled an open house. Now what?
An open house is an opportunity to get potential buyers through the door without requiring them to schedule a private showing. But before buyers arrive, you want your home to look—and feel—as inviting as possible.
The good news? Preparing for an open house doesn’t mean completely transforming your home.
The goal is to create a clean, comfortable space that allows buyers to focus on your home rather than your belongings.
If you’re selling a home in Ankeny, Iowa, here’s how to prepare for your upcoming open house.
1. Start by Decluttering
One of the easiest ways to make your home feel larger is to remove some of the things inside it.
You don’t need to completely empty the house, but you should reduce visual clutter throughout each room.
Before your open house, consider clearing:
Kitchen countertops
Bathroom counters
Nightstands
Coffee and end tables
Entryway surfaces
Desks
Excess décor
Toys
Shoes and coats
Closets deserve some attention, too.
Buyers may open closets to see how much storage the home offers. If every closet is packed from floor to ceiling, it can unintentionally make your home feel like it doesn’t have enough storage.
Use the open house as an excuse to start packing things you won’t need before your move.
2. Deep Clean the House
A clean home can make a major difference in how buyers perceive it.
This means going beyond your normal weekly cleaning routine.
Pay extra attention to:
Floors and carpet
Baseboards
Windows
Mirrors
Kitchen appliances
Cabinet fronts
Showers and tubs
Bathroom fixtures
Ceiling fans
Light fixtures
Doors and trim
Don’t forget about areas buyers may look inside, including the refrigerator, oven, pantry and cabinets.
And if you have pets, make sure you're addressing pet hair and odors before buyers arrive.
3. Remove Personal Items
You don’t need to remove every family photo from your home, but reducing highly personal items can help buyers focus on the property.
Consider putting away things like:
Excess family photos
Personal paperwork
Children's names displayed on bedroom walls
Calendars
Medications
Valuables
Mail
Financial documents
This isn't only about presentation. An open house means people you don't know will be walking through your home, so anything private or valuable should be secured.
4. Make the Home Feel Bright
Natural light can make rooms feel larger and more inviting.
Before leaving for the open house:
Open the blinds and curtains.
Your Realtor will typically turn on lights throughout the home as well.
If you have burned-out bulbs, replace them ahead of time. Ideally, lighting should also feel relatively consistent from room to room rather than having dramatically different bulb temperatures throughout the house.
For darker spaces such as basements, hallways and interior bathrooms, good lighting becomes even more important.
5. Pay Attention to the Temperature
Iowa weather can be unpredictable.
Whether your Ankeny open house is happening during a hot August afternoon or a freezing January weekend, buyers should feel comfortable inside.
Avoid dramatically adjusting the thermostat just to save on heating or cooling while you're gone.
You don't want buyers rushing through the home because they're too hot or cold.
A comfortable home encourages people to slow down, look around and spend more time in the space.
6. Get Rid of Unpleasant Odors
How a home smells can leave a lasting impression.
Common sources of odors include:
Pets
Trash cans
Garbage disposals
Cooking
Basements
Laundry
Shoes
Cigarette smoke
Take out the trash, clean pet areas and avoid cooking anything with a strong smell immediately before the open house.
Be careful with air fresheners, candles and plug-ins, too.
A home that smells overwhelmingly like artificial fragrance can be just as distracting as an unpleasant odor—and may make buyers wonder whether you're trying to cover something up.
Clean and neutral is usually best.
7. Don't Forget About Curb Appeal
Buyers begin evaluating your home before they ever walk through the front door.
Take a quick look at your property from the street.
Does anything immediately stand out?
Depending on the season, open house preparation might include:
Mowing the lawn
Pulling weeds
Trimming landscaping
Sweeping the front porch
Cleaning the front door
Removing leaves
Shoveling snow
Treating icy sidewalks
Cleaning up after pets
Moving trash and recycling bins
In warmer months, adding a few simple plants or flowers near the entrance can make the home feel more welcoming.
During an Iowa winter, prioritize safe, clear sidewalks and entryways.
8. Clean Up the Garage
Yes, buyers will probably look in the garage.
You don't need to make it look like a showroom, especially if you're already packing for a move.
But try to organize it enough that buyers can understand the space.
If possible, keep walkways clear and avoid stacking belongings in a way that makes it difficult to see the size or layout of the garage.
For many Ankeny buyers, garage space is an important part of the home—so don't treat it as an afterthought.
9. Prepare the Basement
The basement can be a major selling feature, particularly if it's finished or offers room for future living space.
Before the open house:
Turn on lights
Organize storage areas
Remove excess clutter
Vacuum or sweep
Make sure stairs and walkways are clear
If you have an unfinished basement, don't worry about making it look finished. Instead, help buyers see the usable space and potential.
10. Make Beds and Put Away Laundry
It sounds simple, but bedrooms photograph and show much better when they're tidy.
Make the beds, pick up clothes, put laundry baskets away and clear excess items from bedroom floors.
If a bedroom has too much furniture, consider temporarily removing a piece or two.
You want buyers to be able to understand the size of the room without feeling like they're navigating around furniture.
11. Give Each Room a Clear Purpose
Buyers should be able to quickly understand how a space can be used.
If your formal dining room has become a storage room, consider clearing it out.
If a spare bedroom has become a catch-all space, stage it as a bedroom or office.
This can be especially helpful with unusual spaces.
You know exactly how your home functions because you live there every day. Buyers are seeing it for the first time.
Make it easy for them.
12. Put Away Pet Supplies
We love our pets, but not every buyer does.
Before an open house, put away food bowls, toys, litter boxes and other pet supplies when practical.
Most importantly, take your pets with you.
Even a friendly dog can make some buyers uncomfortable, and you don't want your Realtor worrying about a pet escaping while people are coming and going.
13. Leave Before the Open House Starts
One of the best things you can do during your open house is leave.
It can be tempting to stay because you know your home better than anyone. But buyers generally feel more comfortable exploring and discussing a property when the seller isn't present.
They may want to open closets, talk about where furniture would go or openly discuss what they like and dislike.
Your Realtor can answer questions and collect feedback while you enjoy a couple of hours somewhere else.
Plan to leave a little before the scheduled start time so everything is ready when the first buyer arrives.
14. Let Your Realtor Handle the Details
Your job is to prepare the house.
Your Realtor's job is to market it.
Before the open house, your agent may promote the property through social media, online listing platforms, their network, signage and other marketing channels.
During the event, they can welcome buyers, answer questions about the property and gather feedback.
Afterward, talk with your Realtor about attendance and any useful feedback received from potential buyers.
What Should You NOT Do Before an Open House?
Some sellers accidentally make open house preparation harder than it needs to be.
You generally don't need to:
Buy all new furniture
Completely redecorate
Fill every room with staging décor
Bake cookies right before leaving
Use strong air fresheners throughout the house
Hide everything inside closets
Start major renovations solely because an open house is scheduled
Focus on clean, bright, uncluttered and comfortable.
Those four things will get you much further than trying to make your home look perfect.
How Long Does an Open House Usually Last?
Many open houses are scheduled for a couple of hours, although the exact length can vary depending on the property and marketing strategy.
You'll want to plan to be away for the entire scheduled window and give your Realtor enough time to arrive beforehand and wrap things up afterward.
Your agent should communicate the schedule with you before the event.
Are Open Houses Worth It When Selling a Home?
An open house is one piece of a larger marketing strategy.
It provides another opportunity to expose your property to potential buyers, including people who may be early in their home search or who haven't scheduled a private showing.
But an open house shouldn't be the only strategy used to sell your home.
Professional photography, proper pricing, online exposure, social media marketing, private showings and strong communication with other agents all play a role.
Ultimately, the goal isn't simply to get a lot of people through the door.
It's to get the right buyer through the door.
Preparing to Sell Your Home in Ankeny, Iowa?
If you're thinking about selling, you don't have to figure out everything you need to do before listing on your own.
Before our listings hit the market, the Hokel Real Estate Team helps sellers determine what should be cleaned, repaired, updated or left alone so they're focusing their time and money where it matters most.
From preparing your home and determining a pricing strategy to professional marketing, showings, open houses and negotiations, we'll guide you through the process from start to finish.
If you're considering selling a home in Ankeny or the Des Moines metro, contact the Hokel Real Estate Team to start preparing for your move.