Skip to main content

OVERLOOKED OPEN HOUSE ITEMS

An open house is an important part of showing and selling your home, but it’s vital to understand that you will be essentially inviting strangers into your house. Here are some things you’ll want to secure beforehand.

For many, the open house is a make-or-break event for marketing a home. The mix of people stopping by can lead to an offer or a quality referral. With the directionals pointing your way, the balloons bumping off the sign posts, and the house looking its best, a successful open house creates a network of awareness around your listing.

A lot of cleaning and preparation goes into an open house, and it can be easy to forget some crucial elements which might impact the safety of the event or even make the difference between an offer or no interest. Before the doors open, be absolutely sure you’ve secured the following items in a safe, alternate location:

1. Drugs. No, we’re not (necessarily) talking about the sort of stuff you’d see on Law & Order. We’re talking about prescription drugs. Remember that strangers are going to visit your home, and while we like to think they’re all interested buyers, there’s always the possibility that someone will comb through your medicine cabinet. Pain pills and ADD/ADHD drugs are common targets.

2. Guns. Have a weapon in your home? Is it locked in a safe, or stashed under the bed? The last thing you want to grow a pair of feet and walk out the door is a home defense weapon. Don’t assume your weapon is well-hidden. It they’re not absolutely inaccessible and secure, they need to be stored off the premises.

3. Heirlooms & valuables. Don’t tempt the weak. Gather up the family jewels and store them securely elsewhere. Don’t assume that putting them in a jewelry box will keep prying eyes away. Same goes for highly portable antiques.The expectation of privacy can get a little murky when people are opening up closet doors and the like.

4. Animals. Okay, so you don’t keep a wild cougar in your living room, but what about the family dog? A friendly cat? There’s no such thing as an open-house-friendly pet, especially where allergies and personal preferences are concerned. (And don’t even get me started about snakes.)

5. Political material. You can be as Tea Party or as Socialist as you want to be, but does that mean your buyer has to be, too? Don’t eliminate half of your buyers off the bat with polarizing political messaging. (Double-check the fridge for those funny bits like-minded folks appreciate... they could send your offer right out the front door.)

When it comes to open houses, make sure they go off without a hitch for you. If you’re listing soon, get in touch with your local REALTOR® about selling your home fast!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

4 TIPS FOR A PRODUCTIVE 2021

  4 Tips for a Productive 2021 (Family Features) This year has taught many workers a thing or two about being productive when offices and homes blend into one. As the calendar turns to 2021, consider these key products and processes to stay productive next year. Find a system (and stick to it): Creating an organizing system is an easy way to ensure your at-home workspace is ready for optimal productivity. Designate space to house all your work items – a drawer, cabinet or box – and keep work items organized by type (pens, papers, computer gear, etc.) At the end of each day, transitioning to “offline hours” can be easier when you have a place to stow your work items. Start your day clean: Studies have shown cleanliness has a direct impact on productivity. Yet, many people struggle to find the time and energy to clean, especially at the end of a busy day at home. An option like The DEEBOT T8 from Ecovacs provides a hands-free cleaning experien...
Post a Comment
Read more

UNDERSTANDING HOW POCKET LISTINGS WORK

Have you ever wondered what a “pocket listing” is?  Learn a little bit about this trend in hot markets and how an agent familiar with pocket listings can help you sell your home faster or find homes which haven’t hit the market yet. If you’ve been searching for a home or have been considering selling your home, you may have heard the term “pocket listings” from real estate agents or even friends and family. What is a pocket listing? Where did the term come from? How are pocket listings being used today to buy and sell homes? Pocket listings are homes which are for sale but not yet widely advertised or entered into typical MLS databases. Often an agent will enter into an agreement to sell a home, but will first reach out to their personal and professional network to see if anyone may be interested in a quick, private purchase. Ideally, the agent knows someone or another agent who has a client interested in the home and the whole process of listing and marketing the ho...
Post a Comment
Read more

UNDERSTANDING MULTIPLE OFFER SITUATIONS

In a seller’s market, multiple offers are not uncommon. But what does that really mean?  And how should you and your agent work together to generate the most interest in a multiple offer situation? Find out more in my post…  When inventory is tight and a market heats up, sellers often dream of finding themselves in a multiple offer situation. In a multiple offer situation, more than one potential buyer submits a written offer on the home. With multiple offers on a property, the listing agent can then try and “shop the top offer” in order to try and get the best deal possible for their client. If you live in a hot market, how do you structure your listing in such a way that you get the best possible offers in a multiple offer situation? One strategy for cultivating multiple offers is letting buyers know that the seller will only entertain offers on a certain date. Rather than deal with offers dribbling in one at a time, there’s a deadline for offers. When thi...
Post a Comment
Read more