How to Do an Open House Right
Published | Posted by Sophia Morales
Selling a house is an overwhelming and exciting process. When the time comes for an open house, it gets even more exciting. This is your moment, the opportunity to wow the potential buyers. You may have a little anxiety about how it will all turn out, and that's alright. If you want to know how to do an open house right, sit comfortably and let us let you in on some carefully guarded realtors' secrets.
Make it Spotless
For you as a seller, the open house doesn't begin on the day that says on the poster. It starts weeks before that. The first thing you want to watch out for is not leaving the mess and clutter to wait for the last minute. In fact, it's best to start preparing for it the minute you set a date for an open house. The first thing buyers will notice is how clean your home is. Make sure to keep your cleaning game strong, so you don't have to stress right before the big day. Also, try using some of the best ROI home improvement projects in your advance.
Start by decluttering
The thing about the clutter is - it can make a person feel like they're intruding on your personal space. For example, if many of your favorite books lay around in the home office, potential buyers will have a hard time imagining themselves in that space. Cluttering is like marking your territory and making it appear smaller. A lot of stuff everywhere can visually shrink your property, and you don't want that. For an open house, you want to open potential purchasers to all the possibilities your home has. So, decluttering is a pretty good idea to start with. What's good about it is - you don't have to torture yourself a day before an open house; you can do it little by little every day.
Also, decluttering is good in the long run for you. Once you sell and decide to move far away, you won't have to bother with all the clutter that's built up over the years. If you decide on long distance move, moving experts are there for you to help you on the whole journey.
Put all your good cleaning products to work
Since your house will be decluttered by the day before the big day, you'll be able to focus on making everything shine. This is the time to bring out your spring cleaning kind of game. Use the best products you've got. Tidy, vacuum, and clean every millimeter you own, indoors and outdoors, equally. Make sure your windows are spotless. If you have glass doors, make them so clean that it becomes hard not to walk through them. A cleaned house will make a great impression on the buyers. And, for the bonus brownie point, make sure to speak to their subconscious by using beautifully scented products and some final touches of pleasing smells after cleaning.
Make all the little adjustments
After you clean thoroughly, it's time for a look around. Does your desk need a fresh coat of finishing shine? Do your doors have some of the paint scratched? Whatever you see wrong - try to make it right. Repair the broken chair, fix the lock on the doors, etc. Renovate your home and make sure everything is spot on and ready to impress potential future owners.
Put some thought into staging
Staging is undoubtedly an essential part of selling the property. It can help you sell faster and for a better price when done right. Overlooking the importance of staging is one of the common mistakes sellers make. But, it's not just a task you'll do through a mainstream tutorial you see in a real estate magazine. If you want to do it right, you need to put some thought into it. Take all the advice you saw and think about what will work best for your property. Try staging in a way that will highlight its best qualities and hide its not-so-great features.
Make your curb appeal stand out
The majority of sellers don't realize how potent curb appeal can be. It's important to make sure the front of your property looks inviting as well. So, clean up the front garden and prune any hedges that are there. If the front door is looking a bit worse for wear, you may want to give some thought to repainting it with a new coat of paint.
Promotion is essential if you want to do an open house right
If you want to sell, you need to ensure that people are aware of your next open house. In addition to promoting your open house online, ask your real estate agent to develop a brochure that can be sent to prospective purchasers and that can be handed out on the day of the open house. Your real estate agent should also advertise your open house:
In the property listing on their website
In their branch
In local media
Talk to them to contact everyone on their list who is interested in purchasing a home similar to yours and urge them to come to the open house. Also, your friends could help in an old-fashioned way. They could spread the word on coffees and their job, wherever they get to chance to bring up the fact that you are selling a beautiful home. Having extensive promotion is enormously important for the success of the whole process.
When to do it?
The last thing you want to do if you want to do an open house right is - pick the right time. Every good realtor will suggest Saturday, considering it's when almost everyone can make it, and no one is preparing for an exhausting work week ahead. The perfect timing and setting up everything prior to it will get you on the road to success. Play your cards right, and at the end of it will await the sweet taste of good and prosperous sale. Good luck!
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