Tips for a Successful Florida Open House
You are having nervousness. Your open house is tomorrow. And first impressions count!
Help your real estate agent turn it into a spectacular open house. Help him close that sale. The general rule of thumb is to prepare well in advance and not 24 hours in advance. Twenty-four hours will not be enough time for the details that will make or break a public display. You remember how it was during school. If we get overcrowded, we will most likely fail the exam the next day. But when we study weeks in advance, we feel like we knew the subject by heart. The same principle applies to open houses. The harder and longer it is prepared, the better the results. You can even put a few thousand extra dollars in your pocket!
Whether your home is located in Tampa Bay or Pinellas County is already half the battle won, because these places have so much to offer people looking for a place to live in Florida. Think of the diverse business and culture and other attractions that Tampa Bay and Pinellas County are famous for.
Make A Lasting First Impression – Most Realtors Agree – A clean home is the number one priority. The word clean, however, doesn’t just mean a house that has been fixed a few hours before, a walkway that was swept and hosed down, or windows that have been cleaned of dust and dirt. Clean means much more than that.
Studies have shown that homes painted in neutral colors convey a more pleasant and warm welcome to visitors; they can better visualize how their own personal effects can be combined with the colors. Imagine having a wall painted fire truck red or bedrooms that look more like an artist’s mural because too many psychedelic colors flood the view. Repainting your home may become a necessity, but do it a few weeks early, that way the fumes don’t linger.
Clutter, Please – If you don’t want potential buyers to stumble right into the house, remove unnecessary furniture and accessories from the house to give yourself more room to breathe. If visitors cannot move freely because of obstacles on the way, they will likely go elsewhere.
Buyers will want to see the size of the cabinets, so cut out the clutter. Leave clothes and shoes hanging neatly, but remove your grandmother’s old sewing machine. Remember, closets that look like storage rooms are not attractive. Don’t make your guests feel like there are real skeletons in the closet!
Be considerate: While dogs and other pets are adorable creatures, they have no place in an open house. It is possible that one or two of your buyers are not animal lovers or are allergic to animal hair. Some buyers are also aware of the damage and dirt these critters leave in their tracks, so keep them out of the house (leave them with your mother-in-law if you agree to take care of them) until the open house is over.
Speaking of your mother-in-law who loves to cook exotic dishes that give off strange smells, put off cooking until potential buyers have left. She will need to be out of the house and so will you. Let your real estate agent do what he does best. Potential buyers are most comfortable when you are not there initially – they are not ready to meet yet!
And yes, how about some pretty and delicate flowers that don’t give off a strong smell? This simple gesture will do wonders to spice up your home. Choose different pastel colors to contrast with the neutral background.