Open House

[ettiketti]

We've decided to do an open house in a few weeks combined with lowering the price slightly.
Wondered if anyone has any tips other than the usual declutter, depersonalise, clean.
It's going to be a 4 hour slot both Saturday and Sunday

Friends have suggested coffee and biscuits but isn't that cliched?!
Desperate to sell for personal reasons and we've found the one house to fit our needs so need to get this right!

My only tips are to turn on all the lights and make yourselves scarce - nothing worse than current owners bobbing around. Good luck.

The well-meant tea and biccies smack of desperation.

People will look in your cupboards, so ensure they're not caught in some avalanche.

No valuables, and this includes rare books, vinyls, etc. on display. Take photos before you leave in case anything goes walkies.

This month is all about wardrobe and cupboard decluttering! I wouldn't have thought about the valuables, we don't have many, though echt
I'll not bother with refreshments then, just be hopeful we get some people turn up!
Hearts I'm hosting myself as husband will have removed the children for the duration. What if they have questions about certain aspects while looking around, guessing I don't show round like a regular viewing then?

Apart from decluttering etc, I'm a big fan of 'dressing' the house. So put placemats out on the table (laying it completely might be a bit much), get some flowers in vases. Think about what you do particularly with mantelpieces, hallway (if you have a coat rack, remove all the coats and put back your nicest looking two!), bedside tables (put one nice book out), not only make the beds but dress them with maybe a blanket or nice cushion. The problem with depersonalising is it can look like no one lives there. Dressing the house means it's clear people do live there, and they are stylish and the kind of people those looking round would like to be like. Sounds ridiculous but seriously it makes a difference.

Oh, and for each room, set it up and then leave and come back in. What does your eye go to? Is it something good? If not, remove it!

Are you in London? I have 2 friends 'up north' who held open house viewings last year and neither got a single buyer looking (and they are not dodgy properties). So I would say make sure your estate agent is really pushing the viewing opportunity. They would have more inclination if they were hosting?

Sadly I'm up north iseenodust bit great location and price so I'm hopeful. Cautiously hopeful.

I wouldn't bother with refreshments either. I did go to one open house and I would have thought it odd if I was expected to drink tea and eat biscuits. I want to go in, look around and leave.

I admit I found it slightly off putting having that many people there at the same time, although if I had liked the house I could have seen past that (I didn't, it was awful and absolutely stank and the dog hair gave me asthma).

Make sure it smells nice and not of air fresher, defusers or those hideous plug in things. Let people look around on their own as well. I had a few sellers showing me around and I found them constantly hovering over my shoulder really off putting.

I always noticed if it was clean, tidy and not cluttered but not too bare. And yes I always look in cupboards because cupboard space is important to me. I did notice one seller had clearly taken a lot out of her kitchen and put it in the cupboard upstairs. Said not enough kitchen space to me so shoving stuff in the loft may be a better bet.

Some great advice here. De-cluttering and dressing the house is so important. I majorly de-cluttered but also on the day I put loads of everyday items that would be inconvenient to put in the loft in the boot of my car and drove off with them (washing baskets, coats off the coat rack, school bags, the toaster....).

Also, fresh flowers - lots of lovely cheap tulips and daffodils around at the moment. And whoever said turn on all the lights, yes, yes! Including bedside lights - especially at this time of year.

No bottles on show in the bathroom - just lovely white plumped towels and some 'aspirational' toiletries. Loo seat down.

We did one a few weeks ago. Filled both cars with stuff, reorganised shed/loft so looked less full. Really good clean. Then just left heating on and went out. Had 9 sets of people round that day - no offers from that, but we got one about 3 weeks later.

house sale not tea party! Stay on the premises and yes, secure valuables.

clean clean clean.

all cupboards will be opened. Didn't buy one house because we opened the airing cupboard to find a screwdriver wedging a valve open - clearly not big on maintenance...

answer questions to the best of your knowledge. It will be stuff like rough estimates of bills, when boiler was last serviced, what neighbours are like, why are you selling. Nothing you won't know - but if you don't know, say so.

Thank you! We have done everything mentioned and more. Hope it works.