How to Prepare Your Home for a Public Open House
If you or your agent is planning an open house for your home, a checklist of actions to be taken would be a good idea- for you, and for your agent! "Plan, Prepare and Proceed!" Here are a few helpful hints .
Advertising:
Plan an open house at least two weeks prior to the event if you can. Advertising your open house event should start at least one week prior. The best venues by far for getting the word out are Realtor.com and Listingbook. Your realtors website, their company's website, facebook.com, twitter.com, youtube.com, craigslist.org, and local online news aggregators are also very good sources.Taking out an as in the local newspaper is still a good idea, however it is costly, and no longer brings in the traffic that it used to. Also consider sending out invitations by email or through the post office to your surrounding neighborhood.
Signage:
Make sure you have enough directional signs to get buyers to your home. This is important for two reasons: One, being that some people are somewhat geographically challenged and may not have a GPS system to rely on, and Number two; You may be able to get traffic from the signs alone, whereas a passerby may not have seen any of your advertising, yet could be in the market for YOUR home.
Showplace ready:
Get your home showcase ready! You ARE being judged. You only have a few seconds to make a first impression, and it doesn't take much to make sure that someone's first impression is a good one. That means staging your home for sale.
Marketing Materials:
Always remember that when a buyer comes to your open house, they are probably making a day of it, and going to many houses in one day. How will they remember your home by days end if they don't have nything to remind them of all the wonderful features that your home has? Buyers get somewhat blurry eyed by the end of the day, so make sure you have enough detailed property brochures and the like for everyone that comes through.
Financing Information:
Have a mortgage broker prepare different analyses to give out for your home to show buyers just how affordable it is to own your home. The mortgage broker should include three to four different financing scenarios for your buyer.
Offer or Contract Paperwork:
Have all of your paperwork in order, and ready and available at a moments notice. That includes all of the state mandated disclosures, as well as a standard purchase agreement and recipt of deposit acknowledgement. Be ready to make a sale. Strike while the iron is hot!
It's time to get your home sold! - and I just happen to know the best agent in the state- she specializes in Fairfield County and Southwestern Connecticut (that's me!) So E-mail me today!
