Open Houses can be a very important marketing tool for the sale of your home, especially if your home is one of those that you “must see in person to really appreciate it.” Your home may have attributes and features that are hard to portray online. Therefore, Open Houses in the real estate sales marketing process should be strongly considered. Here are few pointers to get the most of your next Open House.
The Basics for Sellers preparing Open Houses:
- Clear the clutter throughout the home, especially in your kitchen and bathrooms. Clutter takes away from what potential buyers should be focused on.
- Clean clean clean your home! Have it professionally cleaned if you don’t like getting on your hands and knees. The blinds, fans, baseboards, walls, as well as the bathrooms and kitchens should be detail cleaned.
- Remove personal items throughout including excessive pictures of your family. Potential buyers are there to visualize their family living in the home and should not be distracted by too much of your personal stuff.
- Remove any signs of pets. Most buyers will not want to smell pet odors or see pet items throughout the house. This will cause concern as to the care, cleanliness, and maintenance of your home, especially for buyers who do not own pets.
- Stay in the background or not present at all. Let your agent do the showing and listen to his or feedback during and after the Open House.
The Finer Points to maximize your Open House:
- Have excellent and many pictures on your listing. All of things mentioned above should be done prior to those pictures being taken. Better pictures attracts those buyers to want to see your home. Ask your real estate agent whether professional photography is needed or a good option for selling your home.
- Consider providing food during your Open House. Good food will bring real estate agents representing buyers that otherwise may not have prioritized being there.
- Stage your home with furniture and home decor. Staging your vacant home can go along way towards presenting a “vanilla” home and adding some style. You also can show potential buyers some ideas on how to setup particular rooms and what will fit in those rooms.
- Light up the home. Open blinds and turn on lamps and lighting throughout the home. This will make the home feel more inviting and larger.
