You’ve made many lovely memories in your home, but it’s time for you to move on. Whether you need to relocate for work or need a change of scenery, there are a number of steps that come with any house sale including the open house. While many owners put their homes on the market and let agents handle the tours, you may want to throw an open house yourself, too. Here are six tips that will help you throw an open house so in style.
Advertise Your Home
Whether you have an agent yet or not, you should go on real estate websites such as Zillow to find important information about how to advertise your home. An easy, practical, and proven strategy is advertising your upcoming open house on social media, especially if you’re selling your home yourself. After all, you likely know a lot of people and those people know a lot of people and word can travel fast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
You could even make your post into a Facebook ad to reach a specific target audience. And, no, Facebook ads aren’t solely for big businesses—they’re beneficial for anyone who’s trying to advertise and sell something. Real estate websites will help draw interest, but you need to advertise your open house yourself, too, to ensure people know about the event and will show up on the big day.
Make Sure Your Home Is Spotless and Fix Anything That’s Broken
First impressions are invaluable in the real estate world. While you don’t want to be misleading, you still want to give off the impression that your home is a cozy place to live. If your home doesn’t look appealing, you could scare away potential buyers.
There’s a lot you can do in this department, such as making sure your home is spotless and ensuring that all the appliances are working properly. You could even rent furniture, have your current furniture professionally cleaned, or purchase a brand-new custom sofa with the intent of having it fit perfectly in your new home.
Prepare Property Description Sheets
Agents will traditionally pass out property description sheets at the open house that feature information about the home. The idea is to provide relevant information about your home and the surrounding area, as well as features that make your home stand out. You can also make this information accessible online to save paper. This will ensure you look professional and are ready to answer common questions people might have at your open house.
Set the Mood
All open houses are different, but setting the mood can make your guests feel more comfortable. You want to be inviting and sell them a new lifestyle because it will show the potential buyers that they’re purchasing more than just a home. One addition you could make to spice things up is to go to the liquor store and purchase champagne, wine, or whatever drink you desire to give out during the open house (to the people who are of age, of course). People love and expect good service no matter what is being sold.
Be Friendly, Informative, and Be Sure To Follow Up
If you have an agent, then you’ll actually want to be absent during the open house; however, if you’re going at it alone, then you’ll want to be sure to be friendly, informative, and follow up (at least say thank you to the people who leave their contact information). You’re trying to sell your home, but you also don’t want to come off as a pushy salesperson. The best strategy you can incorporate is being informative and honest about the house and to answer every question to the best of your knowledge.
An open house can cause some nervousness and stress, but with a little preparation and a beautiful home, you’ll be ready to throw a great open house.
