We recently started a New Series about Selling Grand Rapids, Michigan homes entitled: "grand rapids: 5 Reasons Why your Grand Rapids, Mi Home Did Not Sell Today! (Part 1). In that first installment we, explored a couple impediments to a sale of the typical Grand Rapids, Michigan home. These included reviewing your current Pricing Strategy and knowing about the impact of Forclosures in your specific neighborhood.
Today, we're going to take a look at another impediment. But, I wouldn't say this was a typical scenario. In fact, we'll be using this somewhat unusual scenario to make a point about what you should NOT do when selling a home.
*This story was relayed to me by a client of mine who recently attended an area Open House. The Open House had been scheduled and advertised, so she arrived at the time indicated on the advertisement only to find the real estate agent just arriving and scrambling to put up signs.
TIP #1: Make sure your agent is prepared to arrive at least 15-30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of your Open House.
She waited for the agent to compose herself and then entered the home. To her surprise, the occupants were still in the home. There was a young man playing a video game in the living room and someone else in the kitchen. The home had not been picked up and there were personal items lying around.
The agent seemed non pulsed by the oddity of holding an Open House around the family's activities. When my client walked upstairs, the home owner asked her to be quiet and not enter one of the bedrooms because the baby was taking a nap.
TIP #2: Don't force Open House guests to tip toe around your home.
My client toured the home very quickly and then escaped. She felt as though she had intruded on someones private space. Situations like this make potential home buyers very uncomfortable. This reduces the likelihood that they will be focusing on the elements that make your home attractive. Most home buyers will not want to appear rude and will be distracted by walking around family members.
TIP #3: Keep Distractions to a Minimum.
This applies not just to Open Houses but also to any home which is being shown to potential buyers. Distractions can be people...or pictures of people. Other forms of distraction include: unusual odors or scents, dirt or messiness, loud music or a blaring TV.
Although preparing for an Open House requires a lot of work, remember that it's the equivalent of placing your home on Display for a couple of hours. Don't miss an opportunity to present your home in the best possible light!
Picture courtesy of: cOmming Spring and Ranning on flickr.com
Copyright 2008 Audu Real Estate All Rights Reserved
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