Tips for holding the perfect open house
Are you about to hold an open house? There may be several important things you forget or deprioritise when holding an open house. It is important to prepare before you hold the open house, so that your home looks as attractive as possible when buyers walk through the door. We suggest the following:
Preparing for the open house
- Clean and do a light tidy-up – and make sure any outdoor areas are neat and tidy too.
- Wear ordinary, presentable clothes and be ready to meet people you do not know.
- If possible, ask a neighbour or a friend to drop by and give you their input, so there is nothing that catches the buyers’ eye for the wrong reasons.
- Let your neighbours know that you are selling – and when you are holding the open house. Ask them to be positive and welcoming towards interested buyers. Good neighbours matter more than we think.
- Print a few sales brochures and other relevant documents and lay them out somewhere central in the house – on the dining table or kitchen worktop, for example. Put some pens next to the documents so buyers can write their contact details and questions on your Brikk open house form while they are still with you.
- With buyers noting down their contact details and questions, you can easily follow up with potential buyers once the open house is over.
- Feel free to bake a cake, some buns or similar, so your home smells homely and inviting. It may sound like a bit of a cliché, but being greeted by the smell of home baking at an open house creates a lovely atmosphere.
- Put out coffee, tea or water/sparkling water for the buyers – conversation flows more easily over a drink.
- Open the door and welcome the buyers to your open house.
Holding the open house
When you hold an open house, it is important to show buyers that you are welcoming and happy to answer questions – buying a new home is a big decision. Buyers usually have a number of different questions about your home.
You are your home’s ambassador, and it is up to you to present it in the best possible way. If there is something you need to look into before you can give a definite answer, make sure you note down the question and the contact details on your Brikk form, so you can get back to them after the open house.
Remember to show buyers all the things you value most yourself. At an open house it is easy to overlook what a home has to offer, so be sure to mention things like the west-facing balcony with the evening sun, how secluded the garden is, or the really good restaurant, school, nursery or shops just around the corner.
Even though you need to be present and available, we recommend giving your visitors a little freedom and time on their own in your home, so they do not have to worry about offending you if, for example, they say something negative about the kitchen or the bathroom. You should of course still be available for questions, but you can easily step back a little so buyers can look around your home freely.
Make sure that any children, pets and so on are not at home during the open house.
Following up after the open house
- Once you have held the open house, it is a good idea to take stock: what did the buyers think? Was there anything they all asked about? Did anyone have questions you could not answer on the spot? Did anyone want a private viewing?
- If there were questions about your home that kept coming up, it is a good idea to contact your local Brikk estate agent for help with the answers.
- Were there any questions you needed to look into? Look into them and get back to the buyers quickly. We recommend getting back to them within 24 hours.
- Did anyone want a private viewing? Contact them and arrange a time in the near future, so the potential buyers do not lose interest or get tempted by other homes between the open house and the viewing.
- In general, follow up with everyone who visited your home at the open house – would they like to see it again, do they have any questions about it, would they like to receive the property’s documents or make an offer?
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