Holding an Open House
Tips for holding an open house and talking with potential buyers.
If you're selling your house, an open house is a great way to increase its visibility and bring in people who might not have made an appointment for a personal visit. Your real estate agent, assuming you have one, should take care of many of the tasks described below. In fact, your real estate agent may suggest that you spend the open house hours away from home. Whether you stay for the open house or not, however, here are some important ways you can help.
1. Hire a babysitter or dogwalker. Even if you plan to stay home during the open house, your children and pets should not. Children may be underfoot or blurt out something that you'd rather a prospective buyer not hear. Arrange for them to visit a friend or relative during open house times. And although your pets would probably charm some visitors, they might also scare some or cause allergies. Worse yet, pets might escape through doors and windows that visitors leave ajar. Best to find a friend or a dogwalker to take them for a few hours.
2. Advise your immediate neighbors (ideally, a few days in advance). They'll no doubt appreciate knowing that a herd of cars and people are about to fill your street.
3. Add final touches to make the house look its best. In preparation to sell, your house should already be cleared of extra clutter and clean as can be. Now look at it with an extra-critical eye. Throw open the curtains, turn on lights, wipe off any recent dust or dirt, add a vase of flowers to a dark corner, and clear any oversized furniture or extra knickknacks that scream of your own personality or make the space look cramped. Tidy up outside, too -- especially in the front, where potential buyers develop their first impressions.
For more tips on how to make your home look its best, see Preparing Your House for Sale.
4. Anticipate buyers' questions. Think about buyers' practical needs and probable questions, and advise your real estate agent of the answers before the open house. For example:
- Estimate the walking or driving time to important locations like grocery stores, schools, or nearby commute train or bus stations. Buyers may want to know important facts about the house too, like the last time the water heater was replaced or whether there's insulation in the attic. Make sure you or your real estate agent know these details.
- Go through your home with a view toward its potential -- for example, adding a room in the basement, remodeling the bathroom to add a stall shower, enclosing the porch, or whatever might strike a buyer's fancy. (But never, if you have personal discussions with buyers, make any claims about the feasibility or cost of such improvements.)
- Understand your legal obligation to disclose material facts about the property. This may mean having copies of pest or inspection reports ready. (For more information, see Required Disclosures When Selling Property.)
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