Spring is in the air and right now, many homeowners begin to consider putting their homes up for sale.
If you are one of those homeowners, it's time to prepare your home for market.
You'll have to examine your finances, hire a real estate agent, begin to de-clutter, clean your home and repair and replace where necessary.
Also consider the advantages of an open house.
Here are five reasons common reasons an open house might close the deal.
Eyes on the prize – And open house attracts potential buyers who would otherwise be too casual, lax, or unmotivated to book a showing.
The event also has one up on a simple listing.
Your friends and family can mention the event to every potential buyer they know. Neighbors who drop by might be angling to have someone amiable move into the neighborhood. Advertising and signage will catch the eye of both casual lookers and serious buyers.
You direct the drama – Some home shoppers give little if any notice if they stop by your home for a traditional showing.
It can be stressful keeping your home show-ready for the entire time it's listed. It's also time consuming to keep wastebaskets emptied, floors routinely swept, vacuumed or mopped and the laundry washed.
Not so with an open house. You decide when the curtain goes up.
You can schedule the event and prepare for an event with the potential to bring in throngs of prospective buyers – all in one fell swoop.
It's a lot saner to deep clean and stage when you know exactly when home shoppers will arrive.
A scheduled event also gives you time to sweeten the deal with some fresh-baked goodies and aromatic vases brimming with fresh flowers.
Second time's a charm – Typically there's a limit to the number of times even the most interested buyer is willing seek for a private tour.
If your house already caught the eye of a potential buyer, he or she might feel less overbearing and be more willing to come back for a second look in a less formal setting.
An open house also gives buyers the opportunity to bring friends or family for their input. Walking through an open house also provides guests with plenty of time to look around – during open house hours.
Buyers compare apples and oranges – On any given weekend, buyers are likely to visit several open houses in the same general location.
This gives buyers looking in your area the opportunity to comparison shop by attending several open houses. That gives you the opportunity to make your home stand out from the crowd.
Time is on your side – Many open houses are available some weekends, others, not so much. Springtime weekends are big.
This year April 20 and 21 Nationwide Open House Weekend when you can bet it'll be one of those big open house weekends.
Make sure your listing is one of them. Put your home on the real estate map.
Published: April 1, 2013
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