An open house is an opportunity for sellers to showcase their property to a potentially large number of interested buyers, and a great way to generate buzz. While you want to be as open and honest about the property as possible, you also want to make a good impression – and that means there are some things that you don’t want to say during an open house. Here are five things that you should definitely keep to yourself during your next open house.

This Is Where The Dog Did His Business

There is a good chance that the new owner of a home is going to do something about stained carpet or hardwood. At best, the honesty is providing too much information to the buyer. At worst, the honesty could turn a potential buyer off.

The Candle Is Covering Up For Last Night’s Fish Dinner

A buyer wants to get a true feel for how he or she would enjoy living in the house. If a candle is covering up an unsavory scent, it could cause the buyer to ask what else a seller may be hiding.

The Neighbors Tend To Be Noisy

What one person may consider excessive noise may not bother another person. The last thing that a seller wants to do is create the impression that a home is not a peaceful place for the buyer to spend their evenings and weekends in. Let buyers judge for themselves how noisy your neighbors are.

The Schools Around Here Aren’t Very Good

Having good schools in the area is a feature that boosts property values for everyone in the neighborhood, and mentioning that the schools are poor or anything less than the best could turn buyers off. If the schools aren’t great or aren’t up to the seller’s standards, it is best to not mention them at all. Again, let your buyers decide whether or not they like the schools.

There Isn’t Much To Do Around Here

Although most buyers know what kinds of attractions are nearby, there is no reason to be negative about a house located in a more rural area. The concept of “boring” is subjective. If buyers are looking at your property, they have likely already researched the community – and they like it enough to come have a look at your house.

An open house is your opportunity to create a great impression. Don’t waste it by pointing out all of your home’s flaws. For more advice on how to sell your home, contact a local real estate professional today.

Filed under: Home Seller Tips by Julie Woodward
Comments Off on Keeping Quiet: Five Things You Shouldn’t Mention During an Open House

Are you thinking of listing your home for sale? Whether this is your first sale or you have been through the process a few times, you are probably aware that you will need to host at least one open house. Welcoming strangers in to tour your home can range from delightful to irritating, but it is all part of the selling process. So, should you stick around or disappear when potential buyers are viewing your home? Let’s explore your options.

The Best-Case Scenario

For almost every buyer, the ideal situation is that they are viewing a clean, vacant home which is empty of all furnishings. It can be challenging to visualize your family in your future house when you are trying to see past the current tenant’s clutter and furniture. Depending on your circumstances, this might not be possible. 

Are You A ‘People’ Person?

Would you consider your family welcoming and extroverted? Or are you more of the private, inclusive type? If you aren’t really ‘people’ people, then it is probably best if you disappear during your open house. Your real estate agent will be working hard to ensure that your potential buyers start to feel ‘at home’ while touring through your home.

If your personality is more of the shy, quiet type, then you may find interacting with buyers awkward or even intimidating. If that is the case, you should find someplace else to be during your open house.

When In Doubt, Let Your Agent Answer

Finally, keep in mind that interested potential buyers are going to have a lot of questions. They will want to know the fine details about the condition of the home, if there are any surprises waiting to be found and if they can grind down the price. If you do decide to stick around, it might be best to let your agent give the answers.

As you can see, there are pros and cons to being home during an open house. If you are ready to move forward with selling your home, contact us today. Our professional real estate agent team is happy to meet with you, discuss your options and share how to get your home listed so it quickly sells for the best possible price.

Filed under: Home Seller Tips by Julie Woodward
Comments Off on To Stay or to Go: Should You Hang Around During Your Open House?

Are you listing your home for sale now, or in the near future? If so, you have probably come to terms with the fact that soon you’ll be having strangers tour through your home asking all kinds of questions about it. In today’s blog post we’ll take a look at three strange questions that buyers might ask and how to approach answering them.

“Has Anyone Died In This House Or Is It Haunted?”

You might have chuckled when you read that, but questions about paranormal activity are more common than you think. Many people have beliefs and superstitions about ghosts, ghouls, demons and other spirits that haunt homes. Learning that someone has died in your house – even if it was long before you owned the place – is enough for some potential buyers to pass and move on to the next listing.

“Is Anything Buried In The Backyard?”

Have you ever owned a pet that has grown old or otherwise perished? Think back to that experience and ask yourself: where did you bury them? Many families bury deceased pets in their backyard, thinking that it is a good final resting place. And that may be true if you own the house for the rest of your life. However, if you decide to sell, then you have passed on a backyard that has a corpse resting in it. That can end up as a startling surprise for the next family to live there, especially if they have a dog that enjoys digging up the turf.

“Have There Been Any Infestations?”

Asking about pest problems is a bit less on the weird side of things, but it is one question that is almost certain to come up. Visitors will want to know if your home has experienced mice, rats, termites, ants, cockroaches and a variety of other plagues. Some of these will make sense for your home or the area you live – termites in a wood-framed house, for example – while others will make no sense at all.

Rest assured that the above are just a couple of the many bizarre and strange questions you might get while showing your house to potential buyers. If you do encounter something that seems a bit funny, aim to be polite and answer thoughtfully. When you are ready to list your home for sale, or for more tips and real estate advice, contact us. Our professional real estate team is here to answer any questions you have.

Filed under: Home Seller Tips by Julie Woodward
Comments Off on Selling Your House? 3 Strange Questions That Potential Buyers Might Ask and How to Answer Them

Are you selling your home? If so, you’re going to have to host an open house at some point. In today’s blog post we’ll explore a few staging tips that make your house feel like a model home.

Make A Solid First Impression

Start with the front of the home and give a great first impression. Have the sidewalk, driveway and walkways power washed. Ensure that the lawn, plants and landscaping are healthy and look great. Clean the windows and address any external paint issues that may have come up over the years.

The goal is to ensure that your guests think “WOW” when they drive up. Keep staging the front of your home until the neighbors are jealous.

Clean, Clean And Clean Some More

Even if you think your home is ‘clean enough’, it’s likely not. You’ve lived in your home for years, which means that your brain has learned to un-see certain aspects of it. Even if you’re sure you’ve cleaned it as much as possible, you may have missed a few spots.

Here’s a helpful exercise. Imagine that the President, Vice-President and Secretary of State are coming over for dinner. And that they’ll be touring through every room in your home to see how you live. That’s how clean your home needs to be for your open house.

Appeal To Your Target Buyers

Do you know what age range your expected open house guests are in? Are they first-time home buyers, young families or single professionals? If at all possible, try to stage your home to appeal to your guests. If they are younger, then you can stage the basement more as a media or entertainment room. If they have children, that might become storage and a play area. You get the idea.

Lighten Things Up A Bit

Regardless of what time of day you host an open house, you’ll want there to be a lot of light. Open up all the drapes and blinds to let in as much natural light as possible. If you have to use artificial light, invest in high-quality LED bulbs. There are models that can produce light that is close to sunlight in quality. The more light you have, the better your spotless home will look.

The More (Room), The Merrier

Finally, do your best to open up your space. Remove all clutter and store it. Arrange your furniture to maximize the walking areas. But try not to overdo it. You want your staged home to feel livable — and not like a series of large, empty caves.

There you have it — five great staging tips that will boost your next open house. Remember, the fastest way to sell your home is with the help of an experienced real estate agent. Contact us to learn more about open houses, staging and closing a quick sale!

Filed under: Home Seller Tips by Julie Woodward
Comments Off on Hosting an Open House? Use These Staging Tips to Make Your House Feel Like a Model Home

Whether you’re selling a condo at La Mirage or you’ve just listed your canal-front home on North Padre Island, you need to know a bit about seller etiquette.
Your Port Aransas Realtor® will walk you through the basics, but the bottom line is this: Leave the house when someone is showing it.

Why Should You Leave Your House When Someone’s Showing It?

Provided that you’re selling your house while you’re still living in it, it’s always—always—a good idea to let buyers and their agents tour your home without your input.
Why?
Buyers can’t explore comfortably when you’re there. They feel like you’re looking over their shoulders, even when you’re in another room, and they feel like they’re spying on your personal space. Buyers also can’t talk freely with their agent (or each other) when you’re within earshot. They can’t get comfortable enough to look at the home objectively, and that’s going to cost you the sale.
You may feel like you’re helping, or that you’re pointing out important features that the buyers wouldn’t otherwise discover—but remember, what’s important to you isn’t necessarily important to others. The last thing you want is for buyers to rush through and hurry to leave, but that’s what they most often will do when the seller is present.
Let the buyers explore your house, envision themselves living in it, and discuss it privately with their agent and each other so they can make the right choice. The only way to do that is to leave the home while buyers are looking—including during open houses.

Are You Selling Your Home in Port Aransas or North Padre Island?

If you’re selling your home, we’d love to help you do so quickly and at the right price. We’ll be happy to give you a free comparative market analysis so you know exactly how much your home is worth. While you’re here, you can also download our free home-selling eBook and read our useful tips for selling your home faster.
When you’re ready, call us at 361-563-7788 or contact us online to find out how we can help you sell your home in Port Aransas or North Padre Island.
 

Filed under: Blog, Selling by Julie Woodward
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