Operation Open House: Mission Prep

     Operation Open House: Mission Prep Tips & Strategy For A Successful Open HouseSelling your home? A well-executed open house can help you attract serious buyers, create urgency, and potentially lead to offers...but only if you prepare the right way. Here's your go-to guide for making the most of it.✅ Why Open Houses Still MatterEven in a world of online listings and 3D tours, open houses give buyers the chance to connect emotionally with a home. A picture may be worth a thousand words but it can never truly replicate feeling the space in the present. An open house is your opportunity to showcase your property at its best and make a lasting impression. While videos and upscale photos boost online presence and visibility, an open house creates an opportunity to capture the greatest aspects of your neighborhood showcasing not only your home, but the amenities, entertainment, and community that makes it unique. 🧹 Prepping the Property: Set the StageNothing kills the home buying mood more than an unsightly, odorous, or cluttered viewing. Luckily these are things in our control and with a little elbow grease or assistance, a polished space will not only invite potential buyers to stick around; it creates deeper interest as they mentally start to prepare what it may look and feel like living there.Before any potential buyer walks through the door, here’s how to get your home ready:Declutter: Remove excess furniture and clear countertops. I am notorious for keeping my "clutter counter" active. I can clean it on Monday night and by Wednesday morning it seems odd items have made their way back to roost. Clearing spaces like this visually opens the area.Depersonalize: Tuck away family photos and bold decor. We do this for a few reasons. 1) It allows the potential buyers to disconnect your ownership from their potential. 2) It aids in the decluttering as previously mentioned. 3) Despite our best wishes we do not live in a perfect world, removing items like these mitigates privacy concerns and unconscious bias of potential buyersDeep Clean: Every surface, window, and floor should shine. A simple sweep and vacuum will not do if you are looking to make that essential connection. Open House prep involves those dusty vents, spotty baseboards, and a clean and organized bathroom. If you feel like this is just too much task admidst the rest of your already busy schedule consider hiring a professional cleaning company or speak with a listing agent on their strategy and services. Maximize Light: Open blinds, turn on all lights, and use natural tones. Sunshine sells. The aura of natural light not only makes a space feel natural and welcoming, it can highlight great features. By illuminating the rest of the home with the lights on ensures that potential buyers feel welcome throughout the space allowing them to maximize the visit. Minimize Odors: Avoid strong air fresheners — fresh air and a clean scent go further. Body sprays and cover ups are NOT the way to go here. I know the commercial says that bottle will eliminate odors and leave a fresh scent but it is best to tackle odors at their source. Clean carpets, furniture and drapes that typically trap odors. Cleaning hardwood with a natural scent like lemon is far more inviting than the chokehold of bleach. On the subject of bleach, a little goes a long ways so if you are using it in the bathroom dilute and use enough to clean but leave the air breathable. Pro tip: I avoid floral scents and go for other natural smells like baked cookies or light fresh scents throughout the space. If you have a unique space like an office or den, consider adding a slightly different scent in that room to make it distinct from the bedrooms and living area.🕒 On the Day: Last-Minute ChecklistOpen windows briefly in the morning to freshen air. Just 10-15 minutes of circulating air can help. We don't want to alter the comfort of the interior so if it is extremely hot or cold on the day of your open house take that into consideration.Turn on all lights, even in closets. Again, you are going for inviting and visible Hide valuables, prescriptions, and mail. While it is unfortunate, not every person has the best of intentions. Protect yourself and your valuables by keeping them in a locked area or take with you if an agent is hosting the open house. A small investment into a personal safe is great for securing these items but other options include dressers, shelves of bedroom closets behind some clothes or blankets or in a lockable storage area.Remove or contain pets — some buyers may be allergic or afraid. As an animal owner this is probably one of the more tedious items, especially when your dogs are 125+lbs each. Consider taking them out for the day if an agent is hosting, set up a boarding appointment, or lean on your social network if possible. While many do consider pets part of the family and something that completes the feel of a home, you want to create an inviting space for everyone.Add a simple touch: fresh flowers or a bowl of citrus on the counter. Staging 101. A good listing agent will know how to make your space POP. If you are going it alone think simple, clean, and matching. Juxtaposition can be great when designing your interior but for open houses we want elements that match with the space that highlight the elements of the home be it open spaces, useful layout, or captivating light.  🧠 Understanding Buyer PsychologyEver notice how similar marketing is? Thats because a buyers psychology is really based in the same principles, albeit to various degrees and emphasis. To capture the interest of a buyer you need to know what they are most likely looking for and while trends can have a minor impact, the baseline is generally the same.Buyers often decide within minutes whether they like a home. Here's what they're subconsciously assessing:Space and layout: Can they imagine themselves living there? Would a sectional or three-piece living room set look best in this space? Does the flow from the kitchen match my style? What is the layout of the bedrooms and bathrooms? Can this space entertain? Is it functional? While we can rarely change the physical attributes of a home, we can ensure the space we have is prepped to allow buyers to quickly determine if it meets their wants and needs. Cleanliness and upkeep: Signals how well the home has been maintained. Remember how I mentioned that open house prep cleaning goes beyond sweeping and vacuuming? That's because people will be opening sink cupboards, examining hot water heater spaces and looking for signs of damage or neglect. To mitigate things that may catch a buyers eye in an unwanted way is to follow a monthly or seasonal maintenance and cleaning schedule. Not only does it preserve your home and reduce compounding of issues, it makes prep work for an open house that much simpler.Emotional connection: A well-staged home feels "just right" without being too personal.🧍 What Sellers Should ExpectThe house is clean, you have a plan for the pets, and the open house is scheduled...so what's next? What happens at an open house that ultimately motivates buyers? While an open house can be conducted as simple as placing a sign in the front yard and leaving the door open with a simple greeting and allow potential buyers to roam the property, a great hosting agent uses strategy to go further.You (the seller) won’t typically attend the open house; and that’s a good thing, buyers need space to explore and speak freely. A good hosting agent will:Greet visitors and gather feedback - This goes beyond a welcome to the open house. Each agent should have their preferred style to engage with visitors making them feel both invited an important. Additionally, a hosting agent will gather feedback from visitors on what they think are the best features, opinion on price, and areas that could be improved on. All of which can be consolidated and used in your listing strategy to market correctly. Answer questions about the home or neighborhood - Even with a well made flyer laying out the basics about the home will leave truly interested buyers wanting to know more. A good hosting agent will conduct research and have a discussion with you prior to the showing to go in with the most information possible. If a buyer leaves with questions unanswered it seeds uncertainty and that demotivates a sale. So consider having information on hand, how old is the water heater & roof? What schools are in the area? What is traffic like on the street? What amenities are close by? If you have a pool how old is the liner and filter equipment?Share visitor insights with you afterward - The gathered information will be pieced together to inform you on how your price matches other similar homes they have toured, what aspects they love (which should be highlighted in the listing), and areas of improvement. If a majority say they love the home but are concerned about some trees close to the home this allows you to strategize considering having them removed or giving concessions to have them removed upon sale of home. 🎯 Strategy Tips from Experienced SellersTime it right: Schedule your open house when buyer traffic is highest. This typically aligns with weekends between 11 AM and 3 PM. Avoid competing with major events or holidays. However, this doesn't mean hosting an evening weekday open house isn't a possibility. In fact, if marketed correctly it can add a standout unique flair to your listing strategy.Leverage the neighbors: Invite nearby residents personally or with a flyer. They may have friends or family looking to move nearby. And neighbors often help spread the word.Create an experience: There are so many avenues to go here and a hosting agent can share some insight on possible solutions to make your open house the place to be. But some traditionally additions might be light background music, some simple refreshments and something to entice visitors and remind the buyers how great the home was.Use signage strategically: Don’t rely only on online traffic. Social Media posts area great at spreading the word far and wide. But open house goers are most often local to the area. Targeted ads featuring the open house is great but you still need clear, directional signs in the neighborhood to increase visibility and draw in casual passersby. From simple signs to giant inflatables or red carpet entries.Track and follow up: Have a digital and/or physical sign-in sheet (I personally like to give people the option to use the tablet, QR code, or sign in sheet). This is the lead list. The open house was a great start but many times a home does not sell on the open house alone. It takes continued professional communication to keep the home at the forefront of a prospective buyer's mind.Highlight hidden upgrades: Use placards or flyers to point out things buyers might miss, like new insulation, a recent roof, or energy-efficient windows. The listing and flyer should mention things like this but buyers may read over or forget about a feature so conservatively pointing them out is a great strategy to highlight an upgrade. "HEY, I'M NEW" or "FRESH HOT WATER SINCE [DATE]" on a water heater adds light heartedness while pointing out a great piece of info.🏁 Final ThoughtsWe all want the same simplified process when we sell a home...List it, get an offer in a week, close in 30 days or less. And in some markets and for some properties that is exactly what happens. More often however, a listing needs strategy, a solid price point, and someone available to answer questions and que up the paperwork (be it you, an agent, or a legal representative) Open houses are directly part of that strategy. They aren’t about tricking buyers, they’re about presenting your home’s true potential. A clean, neutral, and inviting space does just that.💡 Need help preparing your home for an open house?  Reach out today...I’ll help you get it just right from curb to kitchen.📞 C: 318-900-2833 O: 318-200-0001📩 dustincain@jpar.net🔗 dustincain.jpar.com