Open houses are a wonderful opportunity to showcase a house on the market and let buyers take a closer look at its layout and features. When done right, the open house can generate interest, attract offers, and help homes sell faster.
When mistakes are made during the open house, however, the opposite can occur — sellers may give off a poor impression of the home, dampening interest and opening up the potential for the house to sit on the market for much longer. In the worst cases, that could even mean that:
- Houses may sell for below the asking price.
- Buyers may end up with a bad deal.
To avoid that and help home sellers and buyers through the process, here are some helpful tips from experienced Realtors on how to make the open house a success.
5 Open House Tips for Home Sellers
No matter when you put your Texas home on the market, an open house to show off the home can go much smoother if you’re able to the following:
- Focus on curb appeal: The house needs to look as appealing as possible from the curb because buyers may simply decide not to come inside if the house looks like an eyesore from the outside. So, take the time to spruce up curb appeal. That can mean anything from the landscaping and walkways to the siding, exterior paint on the house, fencing, and more.
- Make your home immaculately clean: Floor-to-ceiling cleaning is crucial before an open house because you want the house and its features to stand out, not the dust, dirt, or trash. Keep in mind that open house traffic itself can bring in some dirt, so it’s smart to give the house a once-over cleaning before each open house so that it’s always looking its best.
- Stage the furniture and depersonalize the space: You want buyers to be able to see themselves living in the space, so you want to make it as much of a “blank canvas.” To do that, stage the home and consider removing extra or older furniture. You may even want to rent newer furniture that will really bring each room to life. Also, be sure to take down family pictures, religious items, political items, or anything else that could put a more personal stamp on the house.
- Get your listing up and out there: No one will stop by the open house if they don’t know it’s happening. So, get your listing up online, with clear information about upcoming open houses.
- Give buyers space during the open house: Homebuyers typically don’t want to interact that much with sellers when they’re checking out a home because it can be awkward and uncomfortable. That’s particularly true if the seller doesn’t know how to show the house or give buyers space to check it out on their own. So, do your best to stand back and let buyers explore the house. Some sellers find it easier to leave this to the pros.
5 Open House Tips for Homebuyers
On the buyers’ side, open houses provide the chance to get a personal feel for a house, ask questions, test out features, and generally decide if they want to put in an offer. To facilitate that, here’s what buyers can and should generally do before, during, and after the open house:
- Obtain your mortgage pre-approval: If or when you do see a house that you want to make an offer on, having that preapproval in hand can show sellers you’re serious while giving you a competitive edge over other buyers and offers that aren’t backed by a pre-approval. All of that can put you in a much better position to have your offer accepted by a seller when you do make one.
- Take pictures and notes: As you’re checking out homes during open houses, snap some photos and jot down some notes of anything that stands out, from the nice surprises to the unexpected potential problems. While these notes and photos can remind you of specifics later (after you may have seen a few houses), they can also give some talking points with a home inspector, giving you more insight into possible issues with a house.
- Visit the home more than once: If you are interested in a home after the first open house, try to schedule a follow-up visit, ideally as a private showing. This can give you more time to walk through a house and inspect various features without the pressure or distraction of other buyers in the home.
- Don’t drag your feet: If you have strong interest in a home after going to an open house, don’t take your time with offers. In the housing market, you can lose out if you wait too long, especially if it’s a seller’s market, it’s a hot season for real estate, or you are just really serious about wanting to buy a specific house.
- Talk to your Realtor: After the open house, as well as any private showings, your Realtor can help you out a lot. From getting more information from the seller’s agent to crafting offers, negotiating with the seller, and beyond, your Realtor can be your partner in the home buying process, guiding you at each step while helping you to make the right moves to protect your interests.
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