Open House and Appointment Date Tips
Prior to Scheduling a Showing of Your Home
Your really need to make your home shine inside and out to impress homebuyers. First impression is sometimes the only impression made on a homebuyer. In addition, if it doesn't shine, you may set yourself up for a "lowball" offer from the homebuyer. Some studies show that 55% of percent of purchase decisions are actually made during the first 60 seconds, which is from the time the homebuyer gets out of their car to the time it takes to get to your front door. To help make your home shine, here are a few things you can do:
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Have the carpets cleaned and floors spotless.
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Trim bushes, plant flowers, or get potted trees. Mow the lawn, add a ceramic animal or two in the entryway.
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If your home has been staged, make sure it is in order the way it was designed. For more information on staging, click here. If your home wasn't staged, unclutter the entire home, even the closets.
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Hire a cleaning crew to dust and clean and make it shine, or roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. The kitchen and bathrooms the first places to start.
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Repair small noticeable items. Fill drywall holes, and paint over them or cover with a generic painting or photo that fits the area. Make sure when painting, you paint the whole wall, not just the hole to avoid striping. Make sure the faucets don't drip. If there is a sticky door, have it planed and painted. Sticky doors give homebuyers the idea that your home may have structual problems.
The Day of Your Appointment or Open House
The day you open your home to an interested buyer(s) is up to you. Most open houses or appointment dates are on the weekend since the buyers work during the day, however there are many appointment times during the week as well. You can put "call for an appointment" in your newspaper ad, that way you discourage "drop-ins", people who don't have an appointment. If you wish to have an open house say from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, than you need to say that in your ad as well.
There a several things you need to keep in mind your appointments and open houses:
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Have loan financing flyers and Realtor type flyers, which are available on your FSBOs in SoCal.com website, which show the features of your home, ready.
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Use the FSBOs in So Cal.com toll free 800 phone number for all contact, and have it forwarded to your home phone on appointment days. If the homebuyer gets lost and needs directions and they call the phone number from the paper or sign, you can pick up the phone and give them directions. After the appointment, we can disconnect the forwarding so that it reverts back to a message line.
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If you have kids, you may want to have them with a sitter, or out of the home while it is being shown. Homebuyers will feel they are intruding, and may hasten their tour.
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When propective homebuyers show up, do a quick introduction, and let them walk through your home without a tour. They need time to visualize "their home".
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Before the homebuyer walks out, give them the financing flyer and property flyers, before they leave.
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If possible, have the buyer sign a guestbook listing their name and e-mail address. This is critical. This way you can e-mail them with any changes/home improvements that may have been done while the home is for sale, price reductions, or additional seller concessions you may offer to help sell your home. These buyers are your customers and you need to treat them as such. The buyers will never know if you've lowered your price unless you've contacted them!
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Before the homebuyer leaves, ask them if they have any questions in regards to your neighborhood or which schools serve your area.
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When showing your property create a mood. Offer a pastry and fresh brewed coffee. Make them feel they are coming home, not just visiting a home. Being a good host is actually will encourage the buyer to ask questions and leave them with a positive impression that you are easy to work with.
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If your home has been staged, make sure things are in place as intended. For more information on staging, click here.
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It's not a good idea to negotiate verbally with the buyer on the phone or in person prior to receiving a written offer A simple phrase such as "all qualified buyers with written offers are accepted" with a smile. The buyers may want a hefty seller concession (where you pay for a portion of their closing costs). You may not know that until it comes time for them to submit an offer, so saying you will take less money upfront without knowing if they want a seller concession or not may not be a wise thing to do.
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You will get Realtors dropping by your home as well trying to get you to list with them. They will tell you all the horror stories about being a FSBO, and how you should hire a professional to sell your home. Ask them about your asking price and see what they think..........for informational purposes. You may pick up a tip or two on what's going on in the marketplace. In the end, kindly take their card and advise them, you are going on your own, but thanks anyway.
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Think safety. Do not allow any drop-ins or appointments after dark! In addition to safety reasons, the buyer needs to see the outside of the home as well. If the buyer is trying to back out of the transaction, they can state that they weren't given the opportunity to see the backyard because it was dark prior to submitting an offer. It may not be a concrete reason to cancel a contract, but nevertheless don't put yourself in that situation.
