Do’s and Don’ts of an Open House for Home Sellers
For potential home buyers, an essential part when choosing a property is a personal tour of the one offered for sale. That’s why home sellers host an open house. What makes it good in the home selling process? The first benefit of an open house is that you can receive many interested clients on the same day in a few hours. Another benefit is that people’s interest in the property will be evident in those few hours. You can tell the buyer about the high interest in the property. Or they can see for themselves. That’s why we’re going to make a list of do’s and don’ts of an open house for home sellers. It will help you properly realize your task of presenting and selling the property quickly.
Do’s of an Open House for Home Sellers
These are essential tips on what to do when organizing an open home. You should follow them because they will professionalize selling a house in the eyes of potential buyers.
Prepare the house you are selling
The open house is your stage. Prepare it that way. The image of the house for sale must be perfect, which means cleaning and organizing the space. All rooms of the home and free spaces must perfectly illustrate their purpose. You should emphasize elements that are in trend. Buyers must be delighted with what they find at an open house.
Do the Extra Furniture Removal
Overcrowding the house can give the wrong idea of the size and the possibility of using the space. It is essential to remove everything unnecessary, so the house can’t seem chaotic and cluttered. One of the ways to realize this task is to rent additional space to temporarily store excess items. For this purpose, follow the advice of professionals regarding storage. It is best to use climate-controlled storage because it will be entirely safe for the things you want to store. Furthermore, you can rent storage for a period that suits you. The most important thing is to choose one with easy access to take what you need until the sale is over.
To remove excess furniture during the open house, prepare it for storage.
3. Do the Cleaning Before the Open House
Another essential and demanding task that you must do before the open house is cleaning. A clean house will sell faster. If the interior is clean, it will impress the buyer better than if it is neglected and dirty. When cleaning, you must take care of every detail. That means you should remove all remaining packaging and garbage around the house and yard. If you have pets, clean their places too. Put away toys, newspapers, tea and coffee cups, and dishes. Get the garbage bags out of the house. Go through all the rooms to make sure there is no dirty laundry. Wash the bathrooms and lower the toilet seat and lids. Arrange the dishes in the cupboard and dishwasher. Vacuum the entire home.
4. Light All the Rooms in the House
When presenting a house for sale during an open house, it is crucial to light all the rooms. You don't want clients to feel that they are walking around in the basement. Also, darkened spaces will raise the suspicion that you want to hide some of the home's flaws. So, raise the blinds and open the curtains to let as much light into the house as possible. Light is your ally in selling the house. If some parts of the apartment are still darker after that, turn on the lights. Be sure to turn on the light in front of the house.
5. Refresh/Warm the Space
The purpose of an open house is for the buyer to experience the property as their own home. Therefore, you must create a pleasant living atmosphere. That especially applies to homeowners who do not live in the selling property. If it is the summer period, turn on the air conditioning to cool the space. If it is winter, warm the house so the visitor can feel comfortable during sightseeing.
6. Always be Around and Ready to Answer Questions
While going on a tour, potential buyers will want private time and moments when their questions need to be answered. An open house does not mean you let people into the house and sit down to watch TV or read a book. Be around, ready to answer. Answer all questions honestly, and if you don't know the answer, explain that you are unfamiliar with the situation. Also, if visitors are interested in buying a house, arrange a time that will allow you to prepare for your move. For it to be finished in the shortest possible time, get all the help you need from a moving company. A full-service relocation will cover the entire moving process.
Don’t make these mistakes that will break your budget when selling your home!
Allow visitors to explore the home on their own, but always be nearby if they need to answer to a question.
Dont’s of an Open House if You Want to Sell it
It has been shown that the best effect of an open house is when you organize it on a Sunday in the early afternoon. So prepare well for those few hours of presentation and don't do the following things.
Avoid Odors in the House
The weekend is your day for deals that are often unavailable on weekdays. But that doesn't mean you spend the morning cooking or baking fragrant dishes when the house is open that weekend. Also, you don't need scented air fresheners. The house should be free of other smells.
Don’t Stand With Buyers While They Are Touring the Home
During the open house, you should be available to buyers but also give them the freedom to move around without you. Some sellers believe that their presence and ongoing conversations about the house will get it sold. That is not a good approach to the sales process. Depending on the size of your home, the house tour lasts from 15 to 45 minutes. Allow the client to use their time without you in the company. If you don't feel skilled enough to guide potential buyers to the qualities of your home, you can always turn to professional sales agents. They will be in your home at the agreed time as support.
Don’t Neglect the House Until the Next Open House
When the deadline you set for potential buyers passes, your life in the home continues until the next open house. However, buyers in your area looking for homes for sale will pass by yours. It is important to keep the home environment clean, organized, and attractive, so buyers do not decide not to come to the house because of the bad condition of the yard. Mow the grass, trim the bushes, spread large dry leaves, and put flowers. It gives the house not only a more beautiful, but also a warmer appearance.
Keep your household tidy from one open house to the next.
These tips will help you prepare your home for sell!
Final Thoughts on the Do’s and Don’ts of an Open House for Home Sellers
The open day is of great importance to buyers. That's the day they'll decide that your house is what they're looking for. By following our instructions on the do's and don'ts of an open house for home sellers, you will achieve that the visitor, entering all the rooms, can get an impression of the future life in the house. It can also be a day when other visitors lose interest. If the reason for this is that the visitor does not like the property, you cannot change it. The reason for this mustn't be your carelessness and disrespect for what will present the property in the best possible way.