Why hold an open home?

An open home is one of the most effective ways of marketing a property and attracting interest from a wide variety of buyers.

Some of the many advantages are:

• You have plenty of time to ensure your property is tidy and ready for inspections
• You can control the viewing times
• Open homes can create plenty of activity, even in a slow market
• Interest and activity can trigger urgency with buyers
• The sales consultant’s time is put to best and most effective use, and they will have the opportunity to talk to numerous people about your property
• Comments from open home visitors can provide feedback on price, presentation, sales appeal, etc.

How can you prepare for an open home?
Your sales consultant will do all the marketing necessary to attract the maximum number of visitors to your open home. However, it is the seller’s responsibility to present their home in the best possible light.

Here are 10 quick tips on how to make your property “open home ready”:

1. Declutter – an overcrowded room looks unappealing and smaller than it actually is.
2. No one likes the idea of living with other people’s dirt. If your home smells good and looks clean you are creating a great environment for viewers.
3. Keep decorations simple and don’t display family photographs. You want buyers to visualise their own things and family in your home, not yours.
4. Make each room count. Give each one a purpose so that your viewers can see how they could use it. Don’t leave any room as a storage place.
5. First impressions count and last. Think about the first aspects that potential buyers will see – like fencing, the letterbox and the driveway.
6. Remember the small things. Check light switches to make sure they work. Fix any doors or cupboards that don’t close. Fix leaky taps.
7. If you can, give your walls a fresh coat of paint. Choose neutral colours to avoid individualising your property too much.
8. Fresh flowers and soft music playing in the background give a good impression.
9. If cold outside, have a fire going or heaters on.
10. Fresh coffee on the stove, vanilla in a slightly warm oven or on a hot element, or aromatherapy oil burners give a very inviting smell and can sweeten stale and musty homes.

You can be assured your Harcourts Sales Consultant will ensure all open home visitors sign a register with their contact details. This is for security reasons as well as to follow up later for feedback on your property.

If you have chosen to market your home without disclosing a price, under no circumstances will your Sales Consultant talk to a potential buyer around your price expectations.

A sales consultant’s first duty is always to the seller and you deserve to have the best opportunity at achieving the highest amount of money that a buyer is willing to pay.

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