Have You Held an Open House Yet?
As spring approaches and you continue to improve your home’s selling power, consider scheduling an open house! And spring will be a great time to hold open houses since some home buyers don’t like to shop for homes due to the sometimes 20 degrees below cold weather depending on where you live. Inviting interested buyers into your home can be an effective method for bringing traffic into your property.
Getting buyers inside your residence may make all the difference between mildly interested and ready to buy. While seeing as many as a dozen homes in a single day can be confusing (not to mention exhausting), it gives buyers an opportunity to see if the house is worth going back for a second, more formal showing. If nothing is appealing, the buyers don’t have to waste valuable time during the week. Open houses give sellers the opportunity to maximize their cleaning efforts – one cleaning for an open house can reap a handful of calls for a second showing.
How to Get the Word Out:
Buy Owner sellers enjoy the option of flagging their property in online listings, highlighting the time and date of the next showing to interested viewers. Easily manipulated in seller dashboards, this option allows sellers to promote their open houses to anyone who views the residence.
Things to Keep in Mind:
Preparing your home well can do wonders to sway the opinions of buyers. Don’t overlook the power of presentation! When home buyers plan a tour of open houses, they intend on spending a very short time in each one. Unless they immediately fall in love with your home, don’t expect anyone to stay more than 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of your home.
However, buyers will want to see all of the essentials. That includes all rooms, the basement, an attic (if it is easily accessible), the garage, and closets.
Before an open house, walk through your home. Make sure every room has been cleaned and is free from clutter. Countertops should be clear and clean. Go easy on the potpourri — it’s best if your house simply smells clean.
One of the most basic rules of a successful open house is this: Unless you’re selling on your own, you shouldn’t attend. Buyers won’t feel comfortable having you watch as they peek in your cupboards.
If you are there, answer questions simply. Don’t volunteer more information the buyer asks for. Hand out listing sheets which detail the home’s address, sales price, and specifications. You may want to add a photograph, so that the buyers will better remember your home.
Safety First!
One last thing: On the day of your open house, remember to be very alert to what’s going around you. For added safety, it’s a good idea to take some precautions:
1. If at all possible, arrange for someone else to be at the open house with you.
2. If you’re alone, tell a friend when your open house will be held, and arrange for regular phone calls to check in on you.
3. Plan to have a strategy in place if you don’t answer the phone or anything suspicious happens, whether that means your friend should come over or call a neighbor or the police.
4. Turn on all the lights and open the curtains for maximum visibility.
5. Ask neighbors to keep an eye out during the showing.
6. Require visitors to sign in when entering (bonus: this gives you a way to follow-up!).
7. Direct guests through your home rather than letting them wander on their own.
8. Check all the rooms throughout the home after the showing is over.
Combining all these strategies will give you the competitive edge in your showing. Be ready for your open house, and you might just welcome your future buyer inside!
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