Open House Tips for Sellers Who Want to Host the Perfect Showing

Hosting an open house is a fantastic way for a realtor to help a seller bring in potential home buyers to view their homes. An open house can provide an excellent opportunity for a buyer who otherwise might not have been interested in your home to fall in love with your unique Steamboat Springs, Colorado, home for sale. Make sure you are prepared for the open house ahead of time to alleviate some of the stress this event can sometimes cause for homeowners. When done correctly, an open house can be the perfect opportunity to sell your property efficiently. Here are a few open house tips for sellers to ensure a flawless open house.

While we have all become extremely accustomed to virtual shopping from the comfort of our homes, it can be challenging to visualize the dimensions and feel of a house from the screen of an iPad or laptop. An open house invites buyers to walk through your home and get a sense of the size, feel, and atmosphere of the home and the neighborhood. An open house is usually hosted and marketed by your listing agent and helps to increase the general interest in your property.

Unlike private showings, you and your realtor will set a time for the general public to walk through your home and look at its best features and what you are offering for sale. Potential buyers will then book a time to view your home privately to gather more information and, hopefully, make an offer. You want to make sure that you are putting the best of your house on display so that potential buyers are attracted to your home’s best features.

Anyone who wants to sell their house quickly should hold an open house. Approximately half of all homebuyers visit an open house before buying a home, and if your home stands out, it could be the last property they tour. You want to ensure your house is highly presentable when holding an open house. It is not the best situation if your home is cluttered, needs to be cleaned, or requires many visible repairs. An open house will invite multiple people to walk through your home at one time, and if there is a lot of clutter, this will cause safety problems for potential buyers.

The best time to hold an open house is when people are available to view your home, usually Saturday or Sunday afternoons. People are more available on the weekends and extended holidays, such as Memorial Day weekend. It is best to hold an open house when there is pleasant weather so that you can pick up neighborhood foot traffic and increase the chances of homebuyers being able to visit your home while out doing other errands such as shopping. Also, consider planning your open house to coincide with popular local sporting events and festivals.

There are several different ways to market an open house effectively. You can start as close as your front yard by placing a sign letting everyone in your neighborhood know you are hosting an open house. You and your real estate agent can also post on social media announcing when your open house will be occurring. Consider taking out an ad in your local newspaper, town gazette, or a local television station. Another way to market your open house is to create flyers or brochures and post them or hand them out at community events.

Prepare your property for its open house by decluttering, cleaning, and making any repairs. Walk through your home with your realtor and home inspector, making a note of any repairs that would be obvious to buyers who have never been in your home before. Watch for loose tiles, holes, missing outlet plates, and any areas of the house that may need deep cleaning. Remember to check the exterior of your home and tidy up the walkways.

Curb appeal is crucial, as it will make the first impression on potential homebuyers. Consider planting new arrangements around your entryway, painting or replacing your mailbox, and replacing the house numbers. These small changes are not expensive, but they make a massive difference to the appearance of your home.

You also want to consider staging your house to market to the specific homebuyers who will be walking through your open house. Consider who may be interested in your home and market to them purposefully. If you think your house is perfect for young families, consider turning your man cave into a nursery so you can show off exactly the life they are seeking.

Once your house is staged, cleaned, and ready for its open house debut, you are going to want to hire a photographer to help you show off the best aspects of your home. Hiring a professional photographer will allow you to bring in someone with fresh eyes to see your home in its best light. Remember to capture your favorite things about your home so that you can have your realtor point those out to potential buyers at the open house and in online marketing. It is also a great idea to gather photos of your home from seasons other than the one during which your open house is occurring. This allows buyers to envision how seasonal changes to your property will appear.

The home sellers should step back and let a professional real estate agent do the bulk of the hosting during the open house. Many buyers feel uncomfortable viewing homes while the sellers hover behind them, listening to their opinions of their homes. You, your children, and your pets should all leave the property while your real estate agent hosts your open house on your behalf. You can discuss with your realtor if you would like any specific aspects of your house to be shown off or if you would like refreshments to be left out, but trust your realtor to market your house in a way that will result in a quick sale.

One of the most important aspects of a successful open house is finding a trusted, professional realtor who can lead you through the process. Cheryl Foote is a realtor who understands Steamboat Springs real estate, and she can help you and your property stand out amongst the Steamboat Springs homes for sale. Let her walk you through the open house process and help you sell your house quickly. Contact Cheryl today.