Hosting An Open House To Sell Your Home
May 15, 2008
When selling your house by owner you dont have the advantage of a real estate agent with tons of clients so you need to draw people to your house and one way is to have an open house. This will require some prep work and a bit of your time but can reel in potential buyers and get the word out about your home.
The best day for an open house is Sunday. This is the day most people spend with their families and are out and about running errands so zipping over to an open house is a nice break. Its best to hold it during the day so people can see the house in daylight. Plan to have the open house for several hours - like noon to 4. Put an ad in the real estate section of the paper a week ahead of time and let it run all week.
Your ad should list the time for the open house, the address, some special amenities of the home like how many bedrooms or if it has a nice view, the asking price and a phone number where they can reach you.
Now you are ready to do some of the prep work to make your house irresistible to buyers. You should already have fixed up any broken or half finished projects around the house. Are there places where the paint is dingy? Then repaint. What about that half done molding in the dining room that has been like that so long that you are blind to it? Finish it, your buyers will notice anything and everything so you need to look at your house with a critical eye and remove anything that might be an obstacle to someone purchasing your home.
Go outside and look at your house from the street. Does it have curb appeal? This is the first impression your potential buyer will get so it pays to spruce up the outside. Make sure your landscaping is crisp and colorful and walkways and lighting work properly.
On the morning of the open house, you must make sure your house is spotless. Put away the dishes, make the beds, vacuum the rugs, clean the bathrooms and maybe even add some flowers and put on the coffee. Take notice of how your house smells - you want a nice aroma or fresh smell to hit buyers when they come into your home. Why not bake some cookies? It will make the house smell great and youll have some yummy treats to offer your guests.
For an open house, a clean home is a necessity. Although it is a good idea to stage your house or set up each room to fit its best potential, you will score more points with a spotless home. No one wants to buy a house that looks like it hasnt been cared for.
Make sure each room has the appropriate lighting and if the showing is in the evening, turn on accents lights for ambiance. Enhane the look of each room and avoid having your guests fumble for the light switch by using table lamps. This will make your rooms look warmer than a glaring overhead light.
If you want to make your rooms look brighter and larger, try adding some mirrors. People want their homes to be bright and a mirror can reflect the light from a window or door.
Make sure you pick up all the clutter around the house. Outside, you need to store all childrens toys and bikes neatly in the garage or shed. Inside, pick up all toys and put away in cupboards remove all magnets and notes from the fridge and make sure there is no clutter around the tables or on the floors.
Its a good idea to send the kids and pets away during the showing. You dont want anything to distract your potential buyers from the beauty of your home.
Lee Dobbins writes for Moving and More where you can learn more about selling your house.
Best Way To Sell My House - Real Estate Agent, FSBO or Local Home Buyer?
There are a number of ways to sell a house. Listing a house with a real estate agent. Selling a house for sale by owner (FSBO), or selling a house to a real estate investor are all house selling options. Which one is right for you? When you decide to...
House Selling - Types of Listings
Are you planning to sell you house? If yes, then, it is very essential to know about the different types of listings.Actually, there are many different types of listing contracts. The most common ones include the "Exclusive Right to Sell", the "open ...
Your Very First Open House
Get ready to host the most important party of your life -- when selling your home, an open house is the best way to nab potential buyers. Although it may seem like an easy feat, there are a lot of preparation steps to keep in mind before you invite t...
Selling A House - Tips And Secrets
Selling a house is much like advertising of a product anybody would like to sell.
Before you plan to sell your house, you should take some steps to make it better so that you can get the best value of your home.
Forget about the renovation and deco...
Maximize Your Open House Results
Many agents hold an open house every weekend but have little to show for the time they spend. In order to make the effort worthwhile, you must develop good open house habits to get the most out of your time. Here are a dozen ways you can maximize you...
Sell and Rent Back My House
Lets face it, the real estate market has changes and many of you got caught with high mortgage payments and now have a house that you can not sell, or can you. When the real estate market slows, the demand for houses goes down and appreciation stops....
Sell Your Home Fast - The Right Professional For Real Estate Help
Real estate is a very complex and complicated subject. That is why real estate professionals such as Realtors, brokers, professional home buyers and real estate consultants exist.With the recent slow down in the real estate market many home owners wh...
Sure Fire Home Sale Tricks
You have probably heard all about how to sell your home, and what sort of home improvements you need to make, but do you know how to arrange your home in an appealing way? There are some tried and true ways to tempt even the most difficult home buyer...
Sell My House
Whether you are selling your home in Fort Worth or anywhere else in the country, there are a few things you should know. Selling a home these days is not an easy task. Interest rates are rising again, and this means it may be even harder than ever ...
Need Someone To Buy Your House In Rochester Fast?
Do you need to sell your house in Rochester (or anyplace else) fast? If so, there are steps you can take to get that house sold quickly, and with minimum hassle. Read on for details.There are tips and tricks you need to know to sell a Rochester house...