Why open homes are key to sales success

An open home is crucial to the sales process. It’s the time when potential buyers can visit your home and see the space for themselves. And this is when one of those buyers will fall in love with your home because they can imagine themselves living in it.

This is the moment a buyer decides your home is the one

While most potential buyers will first view your home online through the myriad of photos that have been taken, there’s nothing quite like walking through the house and getting a better idea of the space and how the home feels.

This is when they’ll get serious about making an offer. Therefore, it’s vitally important to make a good first impression by presenting your home in the best way possible.

It’s an opportunity for us to meet buyers and help them see the property’s value

At HPA, we pride ourselves on being present and open to conversation with buyers at every open home that we organise. This gives us a chance to meet all the prospective buyers and point out the unique features of your home.

And, as we’ve been selling homes in the area for many years, we can also point out the virtues of what the area has to offer, depending on what each prospective buyer is looking for.

Additionally, if a prospective buyer is looking at the home as an investment property, we can offer the best in-depth advice on rental returns as we manage so many properties here in Neutral Bay and surrounding suburbs.

What should I focus on when preparing for a successful open home?

In order to make the best of an open home viewing, there are a number of ways to make your property stand out. You want your home to shine and even be prepared for short-notice inspections which may sometimes be necessary.

Here are some tips for getting your home ready:

• Declutter and depersonalise. Before you even get your home listed for sale, you should concentrate on decluttering and packing away some of your personal belongings such as family photos so that the home looks clean, fresh, and uncluttered.
• Make sure everything is sparkling clean. This is far easier once you’ve removed the clutter but it is important to ensure that everything is spotlessly clean throughout the entire sales campaign.
• Tidy up your cupboards and drawers. Undoubtedly, prospective buyers are going to open your cupboards and drawers. This is not to invade your privacy but to see how much storage space there is. Therefore, you want to make sure that everything is neat and tidy, and free from clutter, to give an impression of lots of space.
• Let in as much light as possible. Before the open home and other inspection times, make sure that you open all the blinds and curtains to let in as much light as possible. Also, consider opening the windows a little to let the fresh air in.
• Keep your pets out of sight. It’s a true fact that some people won’t find your pets as adorable as you do. And, they might be put off knowing that pets have lived in your home. Therefore, leave them with a trusted friend or take them to the park before the open home and remove any evidence of them living in your house.
• Get a second opinion. When you’ve lived in your home for some time, there might be things that you’re accustomed to such as certain smells. For this reason, it’s a good idea to have a friend or neighbour visit your home to let you know of any obvious turn-offs that you might be unaware of. 
• Try to go out before the open home. Having you hovering around can be a put-off for potential buyers as they might be reluctant to really have a good look around.

Thinking of selling? Talk to us

If you’re planning to sell your home, feel free to give us a call anytime. We can set up an obligation-free meeting to discuss the process that we use to sell your home quickly and get you the price that you’re after.