Many sellers often underestimate the power of an open house. Holding one can be a great way to receive multiple offers on your property! However, a great open house takes hard work and collaboration from you, the other residents, and an agent if you have one. When preparing for your open house, keep in mind these tips, and you’ll be well on your way to securing a buyer soon!
Make a Good First Impression
The outside of the home is the first thing buyers see when they arrive to your property, so the sooner you can hook the buyer, the better chance you have at securing a sale! To make a great first impression, create a lovely curb appeal, much like in the photo above! Landscape your yard, freshen up the exterior paint, clean the driveways and walkways, and create symmetry with accents, accessories and light fixtures. Perfect symmetry is not only pleasing to the eye, but it’s incredibly easy to arrange!
Clean the Home
Whether you hire professional cleaners or you roll up your sleeves and do it yourself, cleaning the home is very important. Wash the windows, shampoo the carpets and dust/wipe down every surface! You want the home to look as bright and shiny as possible!
Get Rid of All the Clutter!
Do away with anything that is going to make the space feel small and messy. Put items in storage, if needed, and don’t let the clutter distract from the wonderful features of the house. In addition, remove items that are over personalized. Potential homebuyers want to walk into a home and visualize it as their own. If they walk into the kitchen and see loads of family photos or your children’s arts and crafts on the refrigerator, this makes it more difficult for them to do.
Stage the Home
Although I mentioned getting rid of items during the cleaning and de-cluttering phase, it can be useful to use some of your existing items (and perhaps some new ones) to stage your home. A home with no furniture is a lot like an empty shell, and some homebuyers don’t have the imagination to see past the empty walls and bare space. Use furniture and accessories to show people what each room is capable of. That dark extra space in the corner? With the right furniture and design, look how great it looks as a seating area!
Neutralize odors
You may be used to the smell of your dogs and kitty litter, but remember that homebuyers aren’t. Pet odors can be a sale-killer, but overpowering perfumes and lingering smells of last night's dinner can also make for an unsuccessful open house. Be extra cautious about this.
Spread the word!
If you have an agent, he or she will most likely do all the marketing for the open house, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get involved too. Ask your agent for flyers, and post them around the neighborhood. If your agent or brokerage has advertised it through social media, share it amongst your own followers and friends! At Nan and Company Properties/Christie's International Real Estate, we advertise our open houses weekly. Your home can’t sell if no one knows about it.
Steer Clear
The final step is to leave the property! Find a nearby coffee shop or restaurant and relax. Let your agent do his or her job. However, once the open house has ended, be sure to ask your agent for feedback. What did people like or dislike? What can you improve for next time?
From your experience, what other advice do you have? I’d love to hear from you! Interested in any of the properties listed above? Visit our website at www.nanproperties.com for more information!
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