Most sales representatives will suggest a number of ways to market your home. One of those ways most certainly should be to have an open house. So here's how you can make your open house successful.
The three steps for a successful Open House are planning, promotion and presentation.
Presentation is the area that too many times is left to chance or very often, an insufficient effort is put into making a house "sale worthy".
As with most things in real estate, planning is critical to your success.. Check your calendar and pick a date that won't conflict with other events that could divert your potential visitors. You won't get many home browsers on Super Bowl Sunday or Mother's Day! Ask your real estate professional for advice on how to showcase your home to its best advantage. Remember, when it comes to showing appeal…less is more.
Every TV show that talks about real estate talks about 'Curb Appeal'. Curb Appeal is the first impression your home makes on potential buyers. Remember that a home that looks well kept will create favorable impression. You needn't spend a fortune on landscaping. But don't just make sure the grass is cut, make sure it's watered and weeded too. Make sure the flowers in the garden are not wilted or dead and that the flower beds are weeded as well. As a matter-of-fact, be sure that the sidewalk doesn't have weeds growing between the stones or cracks. A poorly maintained exterior is a buyer's sign to a poorly maintained home inside. If it's winter, clean the driveway and sidewalks down to the pavement.
Now you can turn your focus to the inside of the house. You want to create an atmosphere of spaciousness. Get rid of the clutter to maximize your space. Have a garage sale, empty the closets and take the time to give those things away to charity. Besides making your home look great for showing, it'll give you less to do on moving day.
Clean the windows and open the curtains and drapes all the way, so the buyer can see for themselves how bright and cheerful your home can be. Remember.....dark and dreary homes don't appeal to most of us.
Fix that leaky faucet since dripping water discolors sinks and suggests faulty or worn plumbing.
BATHROOMS SELL HOMES! Make these rooms sparkle from end to end. Check and repair any damaged or discolored caulking in the bathtubs or showers and be sure that the towels and bath mats are bright and clean.
Plan on doing a little spot painting to perk up problem areas, oil squeaking hinges, tighten loose screws, and all the other little things that show a home is cared for.
Only then it's time to start promoting. Your real estate professional is the expert here, and can advise you what marketing techniques will be used to promote your event. Whether it's direct mail, advertising in Home Guides or the newspaper, or website promotion, your representative will effectively promote your event. However, you can add to the process by partnering in the promotion too. Post notices on bulletin boards in supermarkets, libraries or community centers. Anyway that you can spread the word will add to the process.
For your Open House day, your representative will also counsel you on how to present your home to its best advantage. Leaving on all the lights, having a fire burning in the fireplace, soft background music playing, a fresh baked loaf of bread and coffee brewing all add to the ambience and make a welcoming impression. But as any real estate professional will tell you, the best thing that you can do to make your open house a success is to get out and stay out!
All joking aside, you'll get better results when your visitors feel free to poke about, linger, and ask very direct questions of your real estate agent. If you're present, they'll feel more constrained, and your sales representative may not even get an opportunity to identify any concerns they may have, and attempt to offer them options and solutions. So pack up the dog and the kids, and enjoy your day away…trust your real estate professional to do the job right.
After all, they're the experts!
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