10 Dos and Don'ts for Summer Open Houses
Posted under: General Area,
Home Buying,
Home Selling
|
June 22, 2011 1:42 PM |
56,623 views |
65 comments
I often joke that I spent the first few years of my kids’ lives just trying to keep them alive. While this is a (slight) exaggeration, the reality is that most of our parents do spend our formative years teaching us the do’s and don’ts of everyday life. Chances are, though, that this did not include a list of Open House faux pas; things that can get between you and your dream home, or your dream sale.
‘Tis the season for Open Houses, though, so we thought we’d pick up where Mom and Dad left off, tipping you off to a list of pointers for both buyers and sellers about what to do – and what not to do – at this summer’s Open Houses.
Do: Use Open Houses as a convenient time for touring homes with your agent. I’m sometimes surprised by how many buyers write in to ask whether it’s appropriate to meet up with their agent at an open house, as though they’re concerned that it might be offensive to the listing agent or agent who is holding the home open. Well over 80 percent of serious buyers - people who are actually qualified to buy a home - are represented by agents, and listing agents know this!
Given that very few unrepresented buyers walk into an Open House off the street and buy that house, I submit that using the few weekly open house hours as a regular time to meet up with your agent and tour homes that are being held open is a very efficient way to see homes you’re interested in, without having to make scattershot appointments with individual sellers - and that savvy listing agents will welcome your attendance as a represented, qualified buyer and their agent at their Open House.
Do: Open every door. If you’re seriously interested in a home you’re touring at an Open House, make sure you open every door - even doors that look like they might just be hall closets. I’ve had buyers come back and realized that all the closets were a couple inches deep, or that the home had multiple walk-in closets they weren’t even aware of. Once, I even had a buyer miss an entire little room, because we all thought the narrow door was just another closet. Since storage is such an elemental consideration when you’re homebuying, it’s important to know what’s behind every door.
Don’t: Open every drawer. I’m specifically talking about drawers to furniture, rather than kitchen drawers and other drawers that are built into the property itself. Why do you need to see what’s inside someone’s bureaus to decide whether or not you like the home? You don’t - I know that some people find the voyeuristic aspect of Open House hunting (i.e., seeing how others live) to be fun and compelling, but there’s certainly a line beyond which it’s rude to cross.
Opening the owners’ underwear drawers is definitely on the wrong side of that line.
Do: Offer hospitality to buyers. If you want prospective buyers to attend and enjoy your Open House, it’s critical that you remove all the friction involved with attending it. It should be very clear and simple for visitors to discover that your home is being held open, then to navigate to, park at and access your home. If your home - or even your front door - is hard to find, make sure signs clearly point the way. If your neighbors park in front of your house or you normally park your cars in the driveway, ask them to move, and move your own cars, too.
Don’t: Overdo the hospitality. Unless the property is Candy Spelling's $150 million listing (which sold at the low, low price of something like $85 million, according to reports) there’s really no reason to have an espresso bar with baristas, a catered lunch with waiters passing hors d'oeuvres, or chair massages - all of which I have actually seen at Open Houses. Here’s the problem, no one will complain. People will take the shrimp balls, order their dirty chai lattes and get their deep tissue neck rubs. What they won’t do is pay attention to your house! Have a plate of cookies and some cool bottles of water - that’s just nice manners, especially on a hot day. But when you overdo the perks, you distract the buyers from the real matter at hand. Even if they like your home, they’re much more likely to recall the cute waiter or the dim sum than your upgraded kitchen and the dining room.
Note: I’d say there’s an exception for brokers’ open houses - sometimes the excessive hospitality works just to get brokers to attend, which is huge; many a broker has had an a-ha/light bulb moment standing in a house they only went to for the champagne, when they realized which of their clients (or their colleagues’ clients) would love this place.
Do: Intensively clean and de-odorize the place. Start way in advance, and either clean or hire someone to clean your home so that the word “immaculate” applies. This is not the time to cut corners. And understand that at an Open House, people - including the most serious buyers - will open doors, drawers, cupboards, explore your garage, open the garden shed - so there’s really no place to shove and hide a messy pile of clothes or dishes. Heck, there are some who’ll scope out your dog house, if they want their own precious pooch to park there.
This is your opportunity to start eliminating things you don’t need and packing things you’ll want to move that are excess to the neat-and-clean version of your home’s space you want to showcase at the open house.
Don’t: Overdo the sensory staging. Some people are highly sensitive, even allergic, to fragrances or scented oils - these types can run screaming from an overly “air freshened” open house. Music on low is fine, but it should be a very neutral, non-objectionable type - and you’d be surprised what some folks object to. Also, skeptical buyers might suspect you’re trying to cover something up with aggressive air fresheners, cookies in the oven, music on the stereo and white noise playing in every room.
Look to your agent and your home’s stager (if you have one) for direction here, and don’t overdo it. Serious buyers will want to see, smell and hear what the experience of the home is actually like, without all that artifice.
Don’t: Underdo the home prep/curb appeal, landscaping, exterior prep. I cannot tell you how many times, when I was selling homes, I would pull up to an Open House with my buyer clients and see them roll their eyes, sigh or even veto the visit once they saw the state of the home’s exterior. And on the flip side, I can’t express the number of times I witnessed buyers minimize or overlook wonky rooms or funky annoyances on the inside of a home (for better or for worse) because the place had overwhelmingly charming or breathtakingly chic appeal from the curb.
Before you host an Open House, it’s equally - maybe even more - imperative that you make sure your landscaping, sidewalks, front doors and exterior paint are immaculate and maxed out on their attractiveness as it is to make sure the inside is pristine.
Do: Make sure there are smart print-outs and flyers for buyers to take away, and basic documentation buyers will want to see. Check in with your agent in advance about what handouts will be available for prospective buyers that visit your home. At the very least, there should be a property flyer listing out the home’s basic characteristic, offering a few color photos and providing the agent’s contact information; if you’re offering any incentives like closing costs or paying a year's worth of the buyer's HOA dues. Additionally, it can be helpful to have a friendly mortgage broker prepare some financing scenario flyers.
If you’ve had home or pest or roof inspections, or your home favorably compares to recently sold nearby properties, make sure those inspection reports and comparables are out at the Open House.
Do: Take the take-aways. Buyers, hanging on to the property flyers of the homes you’ve seen (and using them to note your reactions to them) can up your house hunting and offer-making game significantly. If your agent isn’t with you, it makes for easy communication about what you saw and how you felt about it, which can minimize the number of homes you don’t like that your agent shows you going forward. Also, a home that you think you’ll pass on while you’re in it might grow on you, or might even become the comparable for another property you’re interested in in the future.
If you’re in active house hunting mode, it can only help you to have a collection of flyers from the properties you’ve seen.
P.S. - You should follow Trulia and Tara on Facebook!
‘Tis the season for Open Houses, though, so we thought we’d pick up where Mom and Dad left off, tipping you off to a list of pointers for both buyers and sellers about what to do – and what not to do – at this summer’s Open Houses.
Do: Use Open Houses as a convenient time for touring homes with your agent. I’m sometimes surprised by how many buyers write in to ask whether it’s appropriate to meet up with their agent at an open house, as though they’re concerned that it might be offensive to the listing agent or agent who is holding the home open. Well over 80 percent of serious buyers - people who are actually qualified to buy a home - are represented by agents, and listing agents know this!
Given that very few unrepresented buyers walk into an Open House off the street and buy that house, I submit that using the few weekly open house hours as a regular time to meet up with your agent and tour homes that are being held open is a very efficient way to see homes you’re interested in, without having to make scattershot appointments with individual sellers - and that savvy listing agents will welcome your attendance as a represented, qualified buyer and their agent at their Open House.
Do: Open every door. If you’re seriously interested in a home you’re touring at an Open House, make sure you open every door - even doors that look like they might just be hall closets. I’ve had buyers come back and realized that all the closets were a couple inches deep, or that the home had multiple walk-in closets they weren’t even aware of. Once, I even had a buyer miss an entire little room, because we all thought the narrow door was just another closet. Since storage is such an elemental consideration when you’re homebuying, it’s important to know what’s behind every door.
Don’t: Open every drawer. I’m specifically talking about drawers to furniture, rather than kitchen drawers and other drawers that are built into the property itself. Why do you need to see what’s inside someone’s bureaus to decide whether or not you like the home? You don’t - I know that some people find the voyeuristic aspect of Open House hunting (i.e., seeing how others live) to be fun and compelling, but there’s certainly a line beyond which it’s rude to cross.
Opening the owners’ underwear drawers is definitely on the wrong side of that line.
Do: Offer hospitality to buyers. If you want prospective buyers to attend and enjoy your Open House, it’s critical that you remove all the friction involved with attending it. It should be very clear and simple for visitors to discover that your home is being held open, then to navigate to, park at and access your home. If your home - or even your front door - is hard to find, make sure signs clearly point the way. If your neighbors park in front of your house or you normally park your cars in the driveway, ask them to move, and move your own cars, too.
Don’t: Overdo the hospitality. Unless the property is Candy Spelling's $150 million listing (which sold at the low, low price of something like $85 million, according to reports) there’s really no reason to have an espresso bar with baristas, a catered lunch with waiters passing hors d'oeuvres, or chair massages - all of which I have actually seen at Open Houses. Here’s the problem, no one will complain. People will take the shrimp balls, order their dirty chai lattes and get their deep tissue neck rubs. What they won’t do is pay attention to your house! Have a plate of cookies and some cool bottles of water - that’s just nice manners, especially on a hot day. But when you overdo the perks, you distract the buyers from the real matter at hand. Even if they like your home, they’re much more likely to recall the cute waiter or the dim sum than your upgraded kitchen and the dining room.
Note: I’d say there’s an exception for brokers’ open houses - sometimes the excessive hospitality works just to get brokers to attend, which is huge; many a broker has had an a-ha/light bulb moment standing in a house they only went to for the champagne, when they realized which of their clients (or their colleagues’ clients) would love this place.
Do: Intensively clean and de-odorize the place. Start way in advance, and either clean or hire someone to clean your home so that the word “immaculate” applies. This is not the time to cut corners. And understand that at an Open House, people - including the most serious buyers - will open doors, drawers, cupboards, explore your garage, open the garden shed - so there’s really no place to shove and hide a messy pile of clothes or dishes. Heck, there are some who’ll scope out your dog house, if they want their own precious pooch to park there.
This is your opportunity to start eliminating things you don’t need and packing things you’ll want to move that are excess to the neat-and-clean version of your home’s space you want to showcase at the open house.
Don’t: Overdo the sensory staging. Some people are highly sensitive, even allergic, to fragrances or scented oils - these types can run screaming from an overly “air freshened” open house. Music on low is fine, but it should be a very neutral, non-objectionable type - and you’d be surprised what some folks object to. Also, skeptical buyers might suspect you’re trying to cover something up with aggressive air fresheners, cookies in the oven, music on the stereo and white noise playing in every room.
Look to your agent and your home’s stager (if you have one) for direction here, and don’t overdo it. Serious buyers will want to see, smell and hear what the experience of the home is actually like, without all that artifice.
Don’t: Underdo the home prep/curb appeal, landscaping, exterior prep. I cannot tell you how many times, when I was selling homes, I would pull up to an Open House with my buyer clients and see them roll their eyes, sigh or even veto the visit once they saw the state of the home’s exterior. And on the flip side, I can’t express the number of times I witnessed buyers minimize or overlook wonky rooms or funky annoyances on the inside of a home (for better or for worse) because the place had overwhelmingly charming or breathtakingly chic appeal from the curb.
Before you host an Open House, it’s equally - maybe even more - imperative that you make sure your landscaping, sidewalks, front doors and exterior paint are immaculate and maxed out on their attractiveness as it is to make sure the inside is pristine.
Do: Make sure there are smart print-outs and flyers for buyers to take away, and basic documentation buyers will want to see. Check in with your agent in advance about what handouts will be available for prospective buyers that visit your home. At the very least, there should be a property flyer listing out the home’s basic characteristic, offering a few color photos and providing the agent’s contact information; if you’re offering any incentives like closing costs or paying a year's worth of the buyer's HOA dues. Additionally, it can be helpful to have a friendly mortgage broker prepare some financing scenario flyers.
If you’ve had home or pest or roof inspections, or your home favorably compares to recently sold nearby properties, make sure those inspection reports and comparables are out at the Open House.
Do: Take the take-aways. Buyers, hanging on to the property flyers of the homes you’ve seen (and using them to note your reactions to them) can up your house hunting and offer-making game significantly. If your agent isn’t with you, it makes for easy communication about what you saw and how you felt about it, which can minimize the number of homes you don’t like that your agent shows you going forward. Also, a home that you think you’ll pass on while you’re in it might grow on you, or might even become the comparable for another property you’re interested in in the future.
If you’re in active house hunting mode, it can only help you to have a collection of flyers from the properties you’ve seen.
P.S. - You should follow Trulia and Tara on Facebook!
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Comments
Great information as always.
Thank you,
Margo " Seattle Margo" Christophilis
I always thought that Open Houses were only good for nosy neighbors and dirty feet... Guess I was wrong!
marsha marsh
Don't reveal anything about your situation that might give the Seller a negotiating edge, such as that you're head over heels for the house and you'll willing to pay asking price. Assume anything you say will be passed back to the Seller and used for their maximum advantage. Best advice: say as little as possible to the seller's agent (and don't forget about the things you say without words-- how you dress, how many questions you ask, etc.)
Astrid Lacitis
Keynote Properties
415 860 0765
Lisa Wanlass
RE/MAX Associates
801 694-5856
Great tips, Tara! Especially the handout with comps in the neighborhood. Not only does it help sell the house itself, but it shows potential new clients that you do your homework.
Mr. Buyer: Good for you. Some people are very comfortable going it alone. The majority, however, are not. Value is determined by the people benefiting from the service.
My pet peeve is with (some - you know who you are) Brokers holding opens and being SO DARN BUSY on their cell phone that they don't even react to my presence. Don't you care that I burned MY gas to get to YOUR open? Wouldn't you like MY ideas about staging, condition, price, etc.? Wouldn't that serve YOUR clients interest better? Or are you so arrogant and self-important that none of those matter? Don't look for ME again - you've made it quite plain that yours is the only opinion that matters. :-(
In kitchens, drawers are often a clue to the quality of the cabinets and the installation. Cheap kitchen installations often have cheap drawer-runners, which mean that the drawers don't open and close smoothly - and sometimes distort or collapse when all but the lightest loads are put in the drawers. Well-made and built kitchen furniture will have strong metal runners, and drawers that are solidly-built. Wooden drawer walls are promising, as can be soft-close drawers.
Similarly, built-in bedroom furniture can look good but be poorly constructed. If the drawer falls out when you try to open it, maybe the rest of the house has only been superficially maintained, too!
Steven J. Ellison Realtor(S), Kona, Hawaii
Windows that open, wide windowsills for plants, porches, balconies, claw-foot tubs, grandma's vintage-but-still-working stove or other appliances, and 1950s bathroom tiles ARE the kinds of things that attract a buyer like me.
Carol Jacob, Tampa Bay, FL http://www.caroljacob.com
Carol Jacob,
Ginny Hazen Damman. Wi.
Wishing you the best!
Christine
I feel everything that realtors or others post about how to sell your house is just common sense. When you have guests over, one would tend to clean, have your things in an organized fashion etc. I'm just tired of hearing the same information but on different websites ... new ideas please!!!
Great tips, we don't hold that many open houses in my area but the information provided is very useful. Thanks!
Connie Bracamonte
Realtor
Agave Premier Properties and Investments
(520)313-5212
For example, when I did this last, I was told an interesting tidbit about the neighborhood school that helped me sell the house! I also had at least 50 visitors the next day, despite the fact that the house had been listed by another realtor (who didn't believe in Open Houses) for over a month...so much for the idea that Open Houses are passe or "old school." The important thing is to do whatever works to get it sold, and you don't know in advance what that is going to be...
I always hold 3 Open Houses for every new listing: two weekend Opens 2 weeks apart, and a Broker's Open in between. Usually you will know if the house is priced right by the second weekend Open House. We had two offers within 21 days...
For JM Sweet, who is trying to sell a condo, give me a call or drop me an email, I have some suggestions for you....condos are a particularly difficult sell in this market, but there ARE some things you can do to improve your chances and "stack the deck" in your favor!
Sharon Wenger
Portland Realtor
503-686-1665