How to properly
prepare for an open house and why it's so important!
Ok, you've done
everything right so far. You have determined the value of your house and
have done the marketing and even prepared your house for sale.
Now is the time
when things get really interesting!
One of several
things is now going to occur. Either:
 Nothing happens, which could indicate that you
have an issue with the pricing
of your home. In this unfortunate situation, you may need
to reassess your
asking price and lower it to more realistic values.
See How
much is my house worth? for more information on this aspect of
selling your home.
Your real estate agent recommends you hold an
open house to encourage
potential buyers to view the home in a relaxed and open
atmosphere.
Your real estate agent or potential buyers
start making appointments for
private viewings of your home.
Whether you like
it or not, if you want to sell your house quickly for the best price possible, you are
going to have to put some effort into making your home as appealing as possible for
potential buyers when they come to view it.
This WILL take
some work, and if approached with zeal, gusto and thoroughness, it will greatly assist you
in finding the right buyer at the price you are looking for.
Let’s take a
look at what needs to be done before EVERY inspection or open house:
First impressions are lasting so make sure the
front garden is neat and tidy,
lawns are mowed, and the front door is polished and
inviting.
Clean everything carefully. Make sure glass
surfaces are sparkling, furniture
has been polished, carpets vacuumed. Pay particular
attention to bathrooms
and kitchen areas, ensuring faucets don’t leak, sinks
are clean and counter
space sparkles.
Make sure all closet and cupboard doors are
closed, and that the contents are
neat and tidy. Potential buyers will open them and look
inside. Tidy closets
will look like they are more spacious than cluttered
closets.
Make sure bedrooms are clean and tidy.
Consider fresh cut flowers where
suitable to add some color.
Let the sun shine in. Open drapes and clean
windows, letting your house be
filled with brightness and light. If the open house is in
the evening, turn on
plenty of lights. If a room is dark, install higher wattage
light bulbs.
Illumination and light make your home feel more welcoming.
When it
gets near the time for an open house or inspection, and during the inspection, there are a
number of other simple things you can do to enhance your homes appeal:
Make arrangements for children and pets to be
looked after by a neighbor or
friend during the inspection. Children and pets are part of
your normal life,
however, they have a way of becoming a distraction to a
potential purchaser.
Everything you do should be aimed at minimizing
distractions and adding to
ambience.
Avoid having too many people in the house
during an inspection. Potential
purchasers may feel that they are intruding and hurry
through without giving
your home a chance to work its magic on them. If you are
using a
professional real estate agent, he or she would probably
prefer to conduct an
open house without you present. This enables the potential
purchaser to feel
more comfortable about “poking around” in your
home.
The aromas or odors in your home are very
important – so make sure there
is a pleasant scent. Air your home regularly leading up to
the open house.
Fresh clean air is a great start – and can be helped
with some simple
aromas, such as the scent of fresh bread or cinnamon
lingering in kitchen
areas, or perhaps cut flowers or potpourri in bedrooms and
bathrooms. How
about the scent of new leather for a den or study? All
these scents will help
create the right ambience for each part of your home –
but be careful not to
overdo it – use subtlety and common sense. A subtle
scent is far more
effective than an overpowering one.
Set the mood carefully. If you live in a noisy
neighborhood, use a soothing
instrumental CD or tape to neutralize the outside sounds.
If you live in a
peaceful quiet rural setting, open the windows a little to
let the peaceful
sounds drift in. NEVER have the televisions or radios on as
these things will
distract your potential buyer.
During the
inspection or open house, remember these basic rules:
Silence is golden. If you are using a
professional real estate agent, allow him
or her to answer questions. If he needs help, he will ask
you. Always be
courteous but avoid conversations. It is far better to be
absent than actually
home during the inspection, but if you are there –
smile and excuse yourself
and allow the purchasers to look around. Obviously,
someone must be with
these strangers in your house at all times as,
unfortunately, not all potential
buyers are honest people and this is where a professional
estate agent can
be of great assistance.
NEVER apologize for the appearance of your
home. Let the purchaser form
his or her own opinions about that. Allow your trained
sales professional to
answer any and all objections a potential buyer may have.
Your real estate agent will find out what the
buyers requirements are, and
can better emphasize your homes features when you are not
present. Stay in
the background.
NEVER assume you know what the buyer is
looking for – allow him or her the
time to inspect your home quietly. They will ask you or
your real estate agent
for more information when they need it.
In other words
– give your house the opportunity to sell itself. Give your real estate agent the
opportunity to do his job. And give the potential buyer the opportunity to
“feel” your home.
If you follow
these tips, you will find that the open house and inspection experience will be far less
stressful for both you and the potential buyer. This is ALWAYS a good thing.
For any other
questions you may have, please feel free to telephone or email us.
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