15 Simple Open House Tips That Will You Sell Your Home
October 1st, 2009 categories: Home Owner Tips, Selling your Home
Open houses seem to be all but dead these days… or so some people would have you think. If you’ve ever driven around Northwest Arkansas on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon you already know that the open house is alive and well. Unfortunately, most open houses don’t get the results the Realtor or the homeowner intended. Here’s 15 Simple Open House Tips That Will Help You Sell Your Home…
- Schedule your open house at least one week in advance.
- Look in the local real estate section of your paper to determine the popular day(s) of the week and times for an open house.
- Restrict the total hours of the open house.
- Place directional arrows from 3-4 blocks away. (Check your city’s ordinances for sign restrictions)
- Place a visible open house sign in your front yard.
- Leave space for buyers to park.
- Your front walkway should be clean and clear of debris.
- Turn on all lights… open drapes and curtains.
- Bathrooms must be spotless.
- If your closets are very organized, open a few.
- Tune in soft music on the same radio station in each room.
- Remove valuables from sight.
- Place your property brochure in the entry area, if possible.
- Consider a guest registration book for your prospective buyers to sign. It makes it easier to follow up with them.
- Be sure the house smells great.
There are lots of other great tips that can really make an open house shine but I save those for my own! I will tell you one great one that I saw a few months ago and have had great success with since… Invite your neighbors. Create about 25 (or more depending on your neighborhood) business card sized flyers with the date, menu (if you are serving anything), price, prizes, etc. You’re neighbors probably aren’t going to buy your home but they are generally nosy so some of them will show up. Then, when a real buyer comes in they can see how many people your home has attracted! There’s nothing like a little friendly competition. Below is the video explaining more.
If you want more Open House tips contact me or stay tuned for additional articles like this one.
