Open houses are extremely crucial to the process of selling your home, as an open house can truly be “make it or break it” when it comes to someone wanting to move forward with purchasing your home or deciding that it is not the home for them. Open houses provide an awesome opportunity to show off your home in the best light possible, as long as they are done right.
During an open house, a potential buyer is getting the opportunity to leisurely view every part of the interior and exterior of the home, either by themselves or guided by an agent, check out the neighborhood, and really get an in-close look at what it would be like to live in the home full-time. If you are looking to put your home on the market, it is important that you make sure that you plan the best possible open house that you can to up your chances of getting as many eyes on it as possible.
Here are some tips on how you can have the best open house:
Advertise ahead of time.
First off, make sure that you are promoting your open house with enough time in advance so that people can plan ahead and stop by. Open houses are only deemed successful if people are able to attend!
When it comes to advertising, there are several different ways that you can promote that you are having an open house. Generally, people will place a sign on their front yard or on nearby streets to alert neighbors and anyone driving through that an open house will be happening. On top of that, word of mouth is a very popular route to spread the word. If you want to go the extra mile, pull together some posts for your social media channels that your friends and family can share to their profiles, and consider posting on some real estate websites as well.
Invite neighbors.
It is a very common situation for neighbors to purchase nearby homes, especially if it is a home, they have always dreamed of getting their hands on. Not only that, but neighbors who love the area and neighborhood that you are in may recommend their friends and family to move closer to them. Plus, neighbors are always curious to see inside another home on the street! Regardless of the motive of a neighbor attending your open house, every attendee counts, and you never know where it might lead!
Strategize on the best date and time.
In terms of planning the best date and time for your open house, consider what the traditional, best timing is to host, and figure out if that makes the most sense for you personally.
For example, weekends tend to accommodate people’s work schedules the best, especially with so many extracurricular activities going on during the week for families. And, in terms of the best day on the weekend, Sundays are overall a “down day” in comparison to Saturdays, so it may be your best bet. If you must move forward with a weekday, ensure that your open house is scheduled for the late afternoon or evening so people are able to make it after the work day.
Remove clutter.
It may go without saying, but it is absolutely crucial that you remove any and all clutter during the open house and keep it as clean and pristine as possible! You want potential buyers to enter the home and really feel like they could make a life for themselves inside of it. A lot of clutter in the home will be distracting for potential buyers as they are trying to visualize. Remember, first impressions are everything, especially when it comes to real estate!
Greet guests as they enter.
Amongst all the chaos, do not forget the importance of simple hospitality. Make sure that as each guest is entering your home you are greeting them with a nice smile and an introduction of who you are. As you are welcoming them, make sure you are accommodating to any questions that they might have about your home specifically or the area in general.