Depending on which area of the country you live in, selling your home with an Open House during the winter months can bring a mess into your foyer and beyond. A new “Market Ready” article from The New York Times offers some guidance on how to keep your home clean while you’re showing it to potential buyers.
“Insisting that potential buyers remove their shoes before coming in isn’t the best solution,” said Stacey Max, a sales manager at Bond New York real estate in Manhattan. “You want to avoid having people in their socks in the dirty hallway,” she said.
On all but the sloppiest days, a better option would be to have a supply of contractor-grade shoe covers from a hardware store at the ready, and to ask visitors to slip them on before walking into your home.
But if you’re set on having people take off their shoes, do what you can to make them as comfortable as possible. “Put out a rug or a mat, along with a stool or a bench, where people can sit down,” Ms. Max suggested.
