How To Host An Amazing Open House
When hosting an Open House, you want to attract as many prospective buyers as possible.
If either you or your agent are holding an open house, there are two main points to remember. First, you want to attract as many people as possible so you get as many offers on your home as possible. Second, potential buyers need to be able to visualize themselves in your home. The goals of all the steps in setting up an open house support one or both of those points.
Here are six great ways to set up your open house:
1. Technology is Power
Houses are sold through fliers, signs stuck in the lawn, and word of mouth. However, never forget that they are primarily sold through people looking at listings, and listings today are online. They are very picture-driven as well. If you’ve looked at listings lately, multiple pictures showing every room, stairs, yard, and even the street are fairly common. Many sites also have videos where potential buyers can walk through the house virtually.
These methods create buyer interest. They also make it much more likely the people who show up at your open house have a focused interest in your home.
Don’t be left behind. Use the multiple listing method as well (more agents = more potential buyers) and be sure agents are posting information to the max. That means, using a Licensed Realtor who is a member of the Wasatch Front Multiple Listing Service will list your home on the MLS, Realtor.com, Social Media, and so much more…it pays to have someone work for you!
2. Neutralize Your Décor
Buyers are thinking of their future comfort and happiness in your home. They need to mentally see themselves watching TV in your living room or playing with their family in the backyard.
You need to facilitate that mental movement. So, every piece of décor that is distinctively yours or unusual has to be made neutral.
Think of it this way: If your son has painted his bedroom walls eggplant, and the ideal prospective buyer hates purple or is passionately against dark walls, that might turn them off. Virtually no one is turned off by off-white. Paint your walls a neutral shade.
That goes for unusual furniture, too, as a hammock hung from the ceiling in your living room. Potential buyers are going to discuss the unusual choice on the way home, not their move-in date.
Less is so much more! Remember, you are moving anyway, so this is a great time to start your packing and have it ready to go when closing day arrives!
3. Keep It Clean
Your house has to be spotlessly clean when it’s being shown. Period. Dirt and grime could lose you a sale. So, scour every inch of your home. Make sure it gleams. This goes for surfaces, but also spaces in closets, under dressers, and behind the refrigerator. Believe it or not, anything white shows dirt…therefore, if you have baseboards, blinds, doors, anything that is white…wipe it down with Clorox wipes and keep it clean! All of it.
4. Make Sure Everything in Working Order
Everything in your home has to function well. This is not the time to have a dripping faucet or a closet door that squeaks on its hinges. Many realtors advise potential home buyers to carefully look for just these sorts of issues.
Do a very careful walk-through of your home. If anything isn’t working, even if it’s something you’ve lived with for the past year, make sure it’s fixed and fixed well. This includes holes in the wall, screen doors, peeling paint on the front door, anything that could scream out to a buyer…”I will have to do XYZ in order to even move into this home!”
5. Keep Pets in a Safe Place — Away from Buyers
It doesn’t matter how much you love your fur babies. Potential buyers might not. If they are allergic or find dogs frightening, that’s another sale gone south.
Plus, dogs or other animals might act out in annoying ways if lots of strangers enter their homes. Barking or leaping on attendees almost certainly will not be appreciated. Make sure your pets have other homes for the day.
Let’s talk about the Litter box! CLEAN IT OUT!! If you walk through the door and can smell a litter box or wet dog, you have a HUGE problem. The best advice is to place the litter box in the garage for showing, spray the home with a neutral air deodorizer, and remove the cats!
6. Supply Cookies or Other Treats
It’s to your advantage if attendees at your open house feel comfortable, hang around after the tour and feel like talking. You need to be unobtrusive if you are around at all during the open house. But, you might leave fresh-baked cookies, say, or fresh fruit in a bowl. It’s just welcoming enough to make open house attendees feel they’re buying from nice people. If lingering to chew means they ask more questions about school districts or shopping, so much the better.
If you’re setting up your home for an open house, be sure to attract the maximum number of interested people. In addition, make sure those people can visualize a good life in your home. Your home should be neutral, clean, and have everything running smoothly. Good luck!
Putting on an open house can be very stressful and when an open house is not well thought out, it can be very ineffective. Professional help is always recommended.
We can help! Give us a call today and we can get you in touch with one of our amazing Realtors! 801.478.4545
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