OPEN HOUSE TIPS FOR HOME SELLERS

Open House is a great way to attract potential buyers. But, its important to consider safety and security

7 Steps to preparing for an Open House

• Hire a cleaning service. A spotlessly clean home is essential; dirt will turn off a prospect faster than anything.

• Mow your lawn, and be sure toys and yard equipment are put away.

• Serve cookies, coffee, and soft drinks. It creates a welcoming touch. But be sure the kitchen has been cleaned up; use disposable cups so the sink doesn’t fill up.

• Lock up your valuables, jewelry, and money. Although the real estate salesperson will be on site during the open house, it’s impossible to watch everyone all the time.

• Turn on all the lights. Even in the daytime, incandescent lights add sparkle.

• Send your pets to a neighbor or take them outside. If that’s not possible, crate them or confine them to one room (a basement or bath), and let the salesperson know where to find them.

• Leave. It’s awkward for prospective buyers to express their opinions of your home with you there.

Worst Mistakes sellers make at open houses

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• Strange sounds: Turning on music turns off potential buyers. Buyers assume that sellers are trying to cover up noises from nearby road or playground or something else along those lines.

• Not leaving: Leaving the house helps the potential buyer to look at the house more freely.

• Blocking access to rooms: There’s a reason it’s called an “open house”. The objective is to grant buyers relatively free access to see and fall in love with your home.

• Leaving a mess: Have a checklist to cleanup all the messes before you leave the premises.

• Writing notes to buyers: There is no need to leave notes to point out various features around the home. While as a seller you think it is helpful to explain a feature to the buyer, its actually very distracting. Remember: what’s important to you, may not be important to them.

• Not turning ON lights: Don’t leave potential buyers in the dark—literally. “It’s essential that lights are turned on, window blinds and curtains are open, and the temperature is at a comfortable level

Finally, The key is to expose your home to potential buyers. Be flexible and try to allow showings whenever requested. You don’t want to risk having a potential buyer skip your home because you didn’t let them in when it was convenient. They’ll simply move on to the next listing.