How to host an open house when selling your FSBO home
Is the time. Your children are growing up. You just received a great promotion. Maybe you are an empty nest. But one way or another it is time for a new home.
So you put your house on the market. He has an ad in the newspaper and a sign in his yard. What else can you do?
Have you thought about holding an open house?
If you spread the word and have a plan for when potential buyers walk in the door, you have a great opportunity to meet a lot of potential buyers.
An open home for sale by owner is a great low-cost way to help you sell your home. Running an open house is a great opportunity to create foot traffic through your home without having to wait for buyers to call and schedule a visit.
One of the biggest annoyances of an open house run by a real estate agent is that you will have to go somewhere else while it takes place. Also, if multiple open houses are held, your frustration with the entire process may start to mount. Being displaced from home for a few hours on the weekend can be very frustrating.
But, because you are running the open house, you will be staying home for the entire process, which can lower your stress level.
Ok, an open house seems like a good idea. How does the word get out?
- Tell everyone you know. Friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers. Have I forgotten someone? Use whatever tactics you can think of to let people know that you are hosting an open house. Email is a very useful tool. Call everyone you know. Even family. Let your neighbors know by stopping by or leaving them a quick note.
- Advertise your open house wherever you are currently advertising your home. Buyer’s guide, newspaper, etc. This will ‘launch your network’ even further by informing all other potential buyers about your open house. It is also important write a killer description that’s why buyers want to come see your home in person.
To really help get people in the door, offer refreshments and refreshments. Believe it or not, this is a great way to help convince people to attend.
Here are some tips to help you run a successful open house:
- To make your home look more spacious, bring as much light into your home as possible. You can achieve this by opening all the blinds and curtains and turning on all the lights. Pay close attention to lighting in the entryway, dining room, and living rooms.
- Let buyers imagine living in your home. This can be done by removing any personal items you may have around the house. This would include family photographs, children’s artwork, etc.
- Create a cozy scent in your home. You can do this by baking cookies or bread. Adding bowls of potpourri to bathrooms and bedrooms is also an easy way to add a cozy scent. If you have pets, work hard to neutralize odors, especially litter boxes, and keep pets away from guests.
- Keep distractions to a minimum. Arrange for your children to visit a neighbor or friend so that you can give your full attention to showing your home. Keep the television and radio off. Never apologize for anything in your home and never make negative comments about your home. You don’t know what a buyer is looking for, so what you consider a defect may be exactly what you are looking for.
Before the open house begins, you should gather a couple of items.
- Blank sales contracts. Make it easy for buyers to bid.
- Flyers. Have flyers ready for buyers to take away. These should contain as much information as possible, as well as photographs of your home. The brochures can be printed directly from their online listing on most national websites for sale by the owners.
Above all, make it easier for the buyer to make an offer or contact you later.
Remember that an open house is an effective and inexpensive way to attract many people to your home. Even if the person walking by your house doesn’t make an offer, you never know who they will talk to about your house.