Selling a home is a stressful experience, even though some of it can be enjoyable. One of the most important and fun aspects of the selling process is holding an open house, which gives potential buyers the opportunity to explore the property in a low pressure environment and really take the time to think about whether they can see themselves there. But it isn’t as easy as just throwing open the doors – there’s a lot to consider, so we’ve made you a short list here to help you get your open house right.
- Look your best
When you’re hosting an open house, the house itself is obviously the most important thing – however, who wants to buy something from someone they don’t feel they can put their faith in? If you’re hosting an open house it’s really important that you look your best as well, so after you’ve put some flowers in the counter and sprayed around that fresh baked cookie smell, don your huggie hoop earrings and your Sunday best so that you look like the ideal, trustworthy homeowner for potential buyers to ask questions of. You want to make your prospective house buyers feel like they could imagine themselves in your home, so things like smell, how tidy it is, even decoration can go a really long way in making them feel more excited to move in.
- Feel confident in your plans
Holding an open house won’t be any fun if you actually aren’t sure of your plans to sell your home, and you should only have reached this stage in the selling process if you feel confident in all those other areas. For example you should have worked out whether you’re using a software like Finmo to manage your mortgage changes and buyer relationships yourself or whether you want to use an estate agent for all that complicated stuff – it’s up to you, but so important to be sure. It’s also important to have a clear price point in mind that you are aiming for, so that you can be confident in any negotiations.
- Keep your buyers comfortable
There’s no excuse for holding an open house that isn’t comfortable for your guests. You want them to see themselves in the house as if it is they’re own home – and if it’s too hot or too cold, all they’re going to remember is that they were constantly reaching for their jumper or wishing they could remove a few layers of clothing. If you live somewhere hot, be sure to invest in an air conditioning service for your big day, and keep the heating on if it’s cold. We understand it’s expensive, but it’s a great way to boost positive impressions of your property!
An open house is one of the most important moments in selling a house, giving access to a huge amount of prospective buyers – hopefully this list helps you get it right! How your open home goes could make a huge difference in how quickly you sell your home and the price you get.