Spring is considered a prime time to sell a home and the weather is suitable to showing your home. An open house exposes your home to the largest number of buyers, and getting buyers inside to preview a home is a big step for many sellers.
"An open house can be a great sales tool, but it entails much work and also exposes you to numerous unfamiliar people for the first time," said Jeff Bell, president of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS®.
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® shares tips on how to prepare for a safe and successful open house:
1. Curb side appeal. Your home should look good from the outside as well as inside. Curbside appeal is very important to prospective buyers. Mow your lawn, trim your bushes, plant flowers. Turn on the sprinklers for 30 minutes to make the lawn sparkle.
2. Beautify the entrance of your home. Place a new doormat and a pot of flowers at the entrance to welcome prospective buyers to your home.
3. Clean your home. A spotless, clean home is essential. Dirt in a home will completely turn off any prospective buyer.
4. Pay attention to smell.s The smell of a home is important too. Set out potpourri, or better yet, make cookies or bread before your open house. The smell creates a warm, welcoming touch. Be sure the kitchen is spotless when you are done. Make sure there are no lingering scents from cigarettes or pets.
5. Add a touch of color to your home. Place fresh flowers to bring life and color to each room. Place decorative bedspreads and pillows in the bedrooms.
6. Put away your valuables, jewelry, money and prescription drugs away. Remember that strangers will be walking through your home during the open house. You should hide any valuables in a safe place, including prescription medications and alcohol, as well as personal information, such as bank statements that could be used for identity theft. Although your REALTOR® will be on site during the open house, it's impossible to watch everyone all the time.
7. Turn on all the lights. Even in the daytime, a well-lit home is inviting and adds sparkle to the home.
8. No pets. Sellers are responsible for their pets. If buyers and agents are attacked by an animal, the owner will be held liable. If possible, animals should be removed during showings. If that's not possible, crate them or confine them to one room (a basement or bath), and let your REALTOR® know where to find them.
9. Make the bathrooms feel luxurious. Put away the hamper, old towels, toothbrushes and shampoo. When buyers enter your bathroom, they should feel pampered. Put out fresh towels and fancy soaps.
10. Help prospective buyers envision living in your home. Set the table with pretty dishes and candles; lay some logs in the fireplace.
11. Depersonalize and make the rooms feel larger. Take one or two major pieces of furniture out of every room to create a sense of spaciousness. Put away family photos and mementos. The idea is to help the prospective buyer envision living in your home. It's hard to do this when they see pictures or special mementos of the current owner.
12. Leave. Your presence will make it uncomfortable for prospective buyers to look in your closets and express their opinions about your home. Leave the job of showing buyers around your home to your experienced REALTOR®
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.
The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.
For further information, please email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.