Make Your Open House a Success
Open houses are great tools for selling a home. They allow a large number of potential buyers to visit your home in a short period of time. Don’t worry if potential buyers aren’t spending too much time in your home - the goal of an open house is to give potential buyers a good quick impression of the home and to encourage them to schedule a more detailed and visit with their real estate agent. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Be a Secret Shopper
Before you have your open house, take the time to visit other open houses in your neighborhood and town. This will give you ideas and tips for your open house, and provide you with invaluable perspective of what works best at open houses…and what does not. It will also give you an idea of what else is on the market and how appropriately your house is priced.
Spruce Up Your Yard
Be sure to mow your lawn, do some minor trimming/landscaping and in general, spruce up your yard/property. Prospective buyers often visit numerous open houses in a single day and if the outside of your home doesn’t pass muster, they may not even bother to stop. They certainly won’t buy your home if you can’t get them in the front door!
Clean Your Home & Remove Clutter
Dirt makes a poor impression and there’s a lot of competition out there. While a good cleaning may not make your home sell stand out, an un-kept or untidy home may be quickly eliminated from consideration. Kitchens and bathrooms are especially important - be sure to remove clutter from countertops and clean all sinks, showers, bathtubs, and toilets. If you’re pressed for time, hire a cleaning service to get the job done. Take another look at your rooms, and if possible/practical, remove any unnecessary furniture in order to make rooms appear larger. You can use your basement or garage for storage.
All Access
Prospective buyers will be mostly looking to decide if they want to come back with their real estate agent for a more detailed showing. Be sure that your guests will have access to all major/important areas of your home. There’s no need to open up the crawl spaces, but visitors should be able to see your basement, attic, garage and all major rooms of your home.
Pets
You may have the cutest, friendliest pet in the world, but your open house is not the time to share them with the world. While your pet may be your best friend, unfortunately, animals can leave chew and scratch marks, leave odors and smells, shed, and have accidents. Studies have shown that buyers are less likely to purchase homes with animals compared to homes without. Arrange to have your pet(s) away for your open house. If there’s no way to avoid having your pet home, confine them to one room and/or crate them for their protection as well as potential buyers, and be sure to mark any doors to the room with signs that your pet is inside.
Freshen Things Up
Sometimes being clean is just not good enough. Like it or not, wear and tear, whether on your home or your possessions, can put off prospective buyers. Consider making a few small purchases that will spruce up your home and make a good impression. A new door mat (indoor or outdoor) is a good start. A new shower curtain can brighten up a bathroom.
Lighten Up
Be sure to open up all the curtains to let in all the sun light possible. Depending on your home and the day, natural light may or may not be sufficient, be sure to have a number of lights turned on in the house. Especially in areas that may not have as much natural light, such as hallways, closets, basements, attics and storage.
Flowers
Fresh flowers can be a nice touch. Have a few vases of flowers throughout the home, in windows and well lit areas. Also, be sure to have flowers displayed on the table beside any sign-in, information or disclosure sheets.
Safety & Security
While open houses are great tools to get a large number of people to see your home in a short period of time, it pays to be safe. Do not expect your real estate agent to trail every person throughout your home. Be sure to have all your valuables and jewelry secured and put away.
Attendance Not Mandatory
Unless you are selling your home yourself, attending your own open house is not a good idea. Buyers should feel free to discuss any positives or negatives about your home amongst themselves, but if the homeowner is present, it can make them feel rude, or cause them to leave prematurely. Your real estate agent can provide you with feedback from the buyers, but even they should not trail buyers through every room in the house.