If an Open House is in your Houston realtor’s game plans, be sure to set ground rules. Ask that they conduct agent tours, where realtors from other firms visit your home in large groups. This will spread awareness of your property more quickly than print advertising. Work with the agent on any printed materials to be used, and make sure all room measurements, descriptions and history of the home are correct.

1. Make sure kitchens and bathrooms are clean and well-organized. Clean stovetops and ovens, and especially built-in microwaves. Turn on all your lights.


2. You can always slip a roast in the oven just before leaving—the aroma will be intoxicating and dinner will be ready when you get home. Baked cookies have a similar effect, and so does heated vanilla extract. If you have dogs or cats, take them with you, and be sure to spray carpets and cloth furniture with pet odor reducers before you leave.


3. Sweep and mop floors in the kitchen. Make sure hardwood floors are swept and have recently been waxed.


4. Empty all trash cans, throw out newspapers and remove smelly garbage from the kitchen. Run the garbage disposal and add a pine-scented cleaner to freshen the sink. Clean the refrigerator door and shelves and dispose of any old food. An open box of baking soda will absorb any refrigerator odors.


5. If you have a fireplace, be sure the grate is clean and not ash-filled. Put fresh logs into the firebox. Always have a glass fire screen in front of the fireplace.


6. Secure all valuables, preferably taking them with you. The family silver can remain, but put it out of sight. Delicate porcelains and glass may remain on display, but push them to the back of the shelf or move to a cabinet where they’ll be out of the way. Turn off all TVs, stereos and desktop computers.


7. If you have an alarm system, put it into safe mode during the “Open House,” and show the agent how to arm it when the event is over. Impress upon the agent the necessity to turn off all lights and any electronics they may have turned on, and most important of all, to lock all doors before leaving.

A parade of people will pass through your home during Open House events. Most people who visit an Open House are merely curious. Some, however, are professional thieves who will steal jewelry, firearms, electronics and other items, or look for gaps in your home’s security that will enable them to come back and break in later. Keep all doors locked, windows latched and closets closed.

If you have a lot of valuables, such as jewelry, guns, laptop computers, cell phones and the like, lock them in the trunk of your car on Open House days and take them with you when you leave.

Do not stay in the house during Open House days, instead go to a movie or visit a friend. Most agents don’t want you to hang around.