Preparing your home for an open house

by | Jun 1, 2013 | Real Estate

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On average, 20% of the homes sold in the US are sold as a result of an open house. When Selling A Home Wichita Ks there are some agents who simply think open houses are a waste of time, other agents think open houses are a great tool. Not all houses however are candidates for an open house; this can have something to do with the condition of the place, its location and competition. If your house meets the criteria, you will never know until you try if an open house will work magic or not. There is one thing for sure, exposing the house to people who may not buy it, but tell their friends about it, cannot be all bad.

The best time for the open house:

Most owners and agents find Sunday afternoon to be the ideal time; it is usually the one time in the week when the family can all be together. The norm is two hours but some agents will open at one PM and go through to four PM. When you pick the day, make sure there are no conflicting holidays or special TV events like the Super Bowl.

Preparation:

When you are using an open house as an aid to Selling A Home Wichita Ks, there are things that should be done about a week in advance. To make the day meaningful, the home must be presentable and as many people as possible should know about it.

* Do some home staging, move unnecessary furniture into storage which opens the house up, making it feel open and airy. Even if you think the rooms look wonderful the way they are, a buyer has no interest in your décor, he wants to imagine what his furniture will look like in the house. Take at least one piece of furniture from each room.

* Remove everything from the house which is not included. If you are planning on taking the ceiling fans with you, then take them down before the open house. What the buyer doesn’t see, the buyer doesn’t want.

* Take your pets from the home for the day. Pets are a distraction; you want the buyers to admire your home, not your Poodle.

Before the appointed time, open the windows to air out the house; prepare a few treats and coffee for your guests and arrange some attractive flowers to add a dash of color and fragrance.

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