Open House - The Right Way
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If you are a For Sale By Owner you will probably want to have several open houses so people can view your home. You only get one chance at every potential buyer that views your home so you want to do everything right and give it your best shot from the beginning.
Make sure you have advertised the open house in all the local papers and that you have plenty of open house signs and flags set up through out the neighborhood. You may need permission for the placement of some of your signs so do your homework before the day of the event. It's a sad thing to go to the bother of an open house and have no one show up. Sign placement is very important.
Of course by this time you have already put new paint where it was needed, you've cleaned thoroughly and removed all the clutter form your home, garage, and yard. On the day of your open house these additional small details can really make a difference: Turn on lights in all rooms and open blinds to let in as much light as possible. Have soft background music playing. Light the fireplace if you have one. Park the cars away from your house and out of the garage. Water the lawn front and back just prior to the open house starting. Keep pets secure and out of sight. Bake a batch of cookies during an open house or put a drop of vanilla on the oven rack and turn on the oven to 350 degree.
Get yourself a guest register and set it in the entry. Have every potential buyer and/or warm body that comes through the door fill it out. You need this information. It is a great idea to call each one later to get feed back, inquire about their intentions, or incase you later change the terms of your sale. Don't be afraid, just do it.
When your guests sign the register you should at that time give them the flyers for your home. This is critical. You must have two flyers. One quality flyer about your home and it should have pictures. The other flyer should contain financing options. You can actually have both on one sheet by using the front and back. You must have both and here is why.
Put an extra effort in your home flyer. When people shop for a home by viewing open houses on a Saturday or by traveling with a real estate agent, after the third home the details get all decom-boober-rated. They can't remember which home had what. I swear to you it is a fact. So, make a good home flyer and have pictures of both the inside and outside.
The wonderful financing flyer is a must because people in the market who really want to buy your home are interested in two things: how much their payments will be, and how much cash they need to put down ... plus closing costs. If you are selling your home on your own you probably don't know any of that stuff. That is why you can and should get free help from a mortgage broker. Many have free FSBO programs and will actually create both flyers for you.
One more thing. It doesn't happen a lot but it does happen. Be aware of thieves and degenerates. Put your valuables away and keep them out of sight. Even better, keep them at a friend or family member's home. Remember, you are inviting strangers into your home.
Having an open house can be scary and it is a lot of work. But, it can be productive so just roll up your sleeves and do it. Do it right and enjoy.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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