Holding an Open House Can Help Sell your House

When you list your house for sale, one of the first things you will want to do is to hold an open house. With a few practical tips, you can get your house ready for viewing, which is a smart idea because holding an open house can definitely help you sell your house.

How to make a good first impression with your open house

Most agents suggest holding an open house the first weekend a house is listed for sale.

Here are some valuable tips on holding a successful open house.

Before the open house:

 Curb appeal is so very important. Trim bushes, weed flower beds, and neaten up your yard to make it as inviting as possible.

• Give the front door a fresh coat of paint – it really does make a big difference.
• Replace your mailbox if it is old and needs paint, being sure to put house numbers on it as well as on your house.
• Clean the house thoroughly, getting professional help if necessary to clean windows and carpets.
• Stage your home with fresh unused towels in kitchen and bathrooms. Put one or more vases of flowers in strategic places to brighten rooms. In rooms that have a bit too much furniture, remove some of it, putting it in storage.
• Paint over any dark or deep-hued walls as light wall colors make rooms look larger. Add new hardware to kitchen and bathroom cabinets and new faucets.
• Remove clutter. Box up personal photos and excess knick knacks and put them in storage. Remove magnets and other stuff from the refrigerator. It is tough for buyers to imagine themselves in your home with all your stuff lying around. Remove personal items and items of any value to safeguard them.
• Work with your sales agent to put together a beautiful brochure or portfolio of your house that contains pictures and a list of the special qualities of your house to give to each visitor.

On the day of the open house:

• Relocate pets if possible or confine them to one room in a less trafficked area.
• Open up all the blinds, draperies, and shades to let in as much light as possible. Turn on all the light fixtures in the house to make it as light as possible.
• Bake some amazing smelling cookies just before the open house begins so that the aroma lingers in the air. If baking cookies is not your thing, sprinkle a liberal amount of cinnamon on a sheet of aluminum foil and put it in the oven at 250 degrees during the open house. Have a tray of cookies or other refreshments, napkins, and drinks of some sort (even bottled water). Taking refreshments gets the visitors interacting with the seller or sales agent.
• If you have a real estate agent doing the open house, either stay in the background or be absent and let the agent do his or her job.
• Have your agent get feedback from all visitors on the house and its pricing. Be sure your agent gets contact information from all visitors to the open house.

With the right amount of advertising, your open house will be quite a success.