When you have put your British Virgin Islands Home on the market, you may be considering an open house. If correctly executed, holding an Open House is a very efficient way to generate more marketing exposure and to attract interested purchasers, However it is not as easy as just cleaning and inviting potential purchasers to view your home.
Follow these simple tips to get the most out of your open house event:
Ensure Your Home is Ready: Just because you have put your home on the market, doesn’t mean that it is automatically ready for viewings by potential buyers. As the saying goes, you only have one chance to make a good impression, and this is also true of your home when you are hoping to sell. The first and most obvious task is to make sure you thoroughly clean the house, second would be to finish any minor maintenance projects so that your home looks more inviting.
Hold your Event on a Weekend: Open Houses are more effective when held over weekends as this allows more people to visit without worrying about work commitments/kids etc. Let people know that you are holding an open house by putting directional yard signs at key points. Your real estate agent may also help to inform potential buyers that the open house is happening.
Stage Your House: Most people arrange their furniture to their own tastes and families lifestyle, however it is good to bare in mind that potential buyers are more attracted to homes which appear spacious, So when you are staging your home think of how a potential buyer may see it and remove any clutter or unnecessary furniture.
Sign-In Sheets: It is a good idea to get visitors details, so creating a simple sign in sheet for people to provide their name, phone number and email address, will help when you want to contact the visitors after the event.
Create and print leaflets: Create a simple leaflet giving brief information on the house and your contact details so that you can hand them to visitors upon arrival.
Offer Refreshments: One of the oldest tricks in the book is to bake cookies before an open house, this gives the house a pleasant and inviting aroma and will also provide treats for your guests and encourage them to stay longer to ask more questions about your home.
Purchase fresh Flowers: A great way to emphasize your homes beauty is to purchase fresh flowers form your local florist and place arrangements in a vase, not only will it improve the look of your home it is also a conversation starter so that when visitors comment on them and ask where they came from it is a great opportunity to explain about all the good shops and amenities in the area.
Be Professionally minded: Visitors may express their opinions on aspects of your home which they do not like, be professional and remember that you are not selling your home, but merely a house which buyers will want to make their own.
Answer Questions: You will never be able to guess the amount of questions the prospective buyers may ask regarding the house and surrounding area, so it is always best to be prepared to answer questions about: Property taxes, major appliances, heating and air conditioning systems and questions concerning the local community. If there are any questions that you are unable to answer, inform them that you will get the answer and contact them via phone.
Find out if a prospective buyer is pre-approved: Not all visitors will be interested in buying your home, however for those who are showing that they are by asking questions, don’t be afraid to inquire if they have been pre-approved for a mortgage. If they are not pre-approved, It is a good idea to recommend that they seek financial advice regarding the mortgage to begin the process.
Follow-Up: A good tip is to send a thank you email to all those who attended your open house and left contact details, you can include a link to the listing of your house so that they can view the pictures and details again and ask if they have any more questions regarding the house. In the following days call each person and politely inquire whether they are considering purchasing your home, if the answer is negative, again thank them for their time and ask if they have any feedback on your home which may help make the house more appealing to other potential buyers. If you get a positive response, offer for them to visit your home again for a second viewing.
Placing your home on the market can be a stressful process, and sometimes it can feel like there is no interest at all. Open houses are a good way of showing off your home to potential buyers without the pressure. Why not discuss holding an open house with your realtor today, you might just find that it is the best way to sell your home!
