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Original poster

about to go live on rightmove! open house next week question

59 replies

wibbleee · 12/04/2019 17:22

so we`ve agreed to do an open house next friday . Do I offer tea/ biscuits ?? and would I look desperate if I baked a nice cake?

OP posts:
TrixieFranklin · 12/04/2019 21:31

When they come round to take new photos of the outside when it's sunny make sure they clean their lenses first! Also get them to take new inside shots with natural light instead of the lights on.
They need to upload your EPC and floorplan ASAP too - you're paying them for their services and should get a full professional set of details. They also need to add photo titles, people have already asked re the land and by adding a quick title to each photo it is just a lot easier

Love your kitchen and the bedrooms are good too, I wish houses were so reasonably priced where I live!

Goldenbaubles · 12/04/2019 21:40

Floor plan a must I think

greenlynx · 12/04/2019 21:40

I don’t think it’s a good idea. We’ve been at many open houses and no one offers anything. You do 1 hour slot , it’s not much if people need to do measurements for furniture , also they would probably have children with them. I would want to concentrate on the house not on how messy is my child with her biscuit.

crimsonlake · 12/04/2019 21:41

Please do not offer anything. I have been to lots of open house viewings, you may or may not have anyone through your door, but do you really want people trailing round your house with hot drinks and leaving cake crumbs. You are basically trying to do business here so keep it that way.
Good luck,.

GreenTulips · 12/04/2019 21:44

I imagined a large country pile with a vast kitchen

You do not need to be in the house
You don’t need to leave any information the estate agent will do that
Additional information will be required when offers come in.

flitwit99 · 12/04/2019 21:45

Where I live it's common to have viewings between 7 and 8 on a Thursday and 2 till 4 on a Sunday. You can just ring the bell and view the house without an appointment. Is this what you mean by open house?
I've viewed dozens of houses this way, and sold 3, I've never offered or been offered refreshments.
It sounds like some sort of crazy American Desperate Housewives real estate agent kind of thing to do. Don't do it.
Or what's that new super-glam american real estate thing that's just come out on Netflix(?), I bet they serve cocktails and champagne at an open house.

SavoyCabbage · 12/04/2019 21:46

I wouldn’t do refreshments. You want people, to focus on the house.

flitwit99 · 12/04/2019 21:48

Selling Sunset on Netflix

Latetothegame83 · 12/04/2019 22:27

I actually watched TV programme where experts came in to help people sell their houses (can't remember the name of it). They actually recommended baking something simple like cookies just before people turned up. This filled the house with nice home baking smells. Cookies were left out on a plate and people helped themselves. Seemed to do the trick!

Penguinpandarabbit · 12/04/2019 22:33

There's some great EA advice and a interesting turkey EA recipe on here -not-:
magazine.realtor/home-and-design/feature/article/2006/06/delicious-ideas-for-mm-mm-good-open-house

Apparently candles and flowers are your friend but make sure people don't knock over the lit candles Hmm

AlexaAmbidextra · 12/04/2019 23:04

I’d buy the cat. 😹

highstresslevels · 13/04/2019 00:15

Maybe keep it at a cold drink, and plate of biscuits/buns. We have to take our toddler round a lot of viewings and a biscuit would be great (not a crumbly one though Grin )

WBWIFE · 13/04/2019 07:22

I dint think you're supposed to stay for an open house.

Never known a vendor be there at any I have been to

pinkpushchairs · 13/04/2019 07:31

Floor plan needs sorting ASAP. I look at that before anything else.

Perty01234 · 13/04/2019 07:36

I’d also take re take the pic of the conservatory again minus the cat and cat bowl. This might put people off before they even come! For me I imagine it having hairs all over it already and smelling like cats!

Perty01234 · 13/04/2019 07:38

Picture 12 I’m confused is that your garden or behind your garden? I’d chuck all your office stuff into the loft

DurhamDurham · 13/04/2019 07:43

I wouldn't do cake, you might get some thoughtless parents allowing their child to wander around your home dropping crumbs. You don't want to be worrying about crumbs and jam smears when you're trying to sell your home.

Original poster
wibbleee · 13/04/2019 07:58

thanks for all the feedback! I shall act on it. Good to have a strangers view on it. Ill also ask about the open house thing while Im at it.x

OP posts:
GoldenRuby · 13/04/2019 08:01

I'd worry that the plot of land could be developed on and the house overlooked. I think I'd lose that picture so that it didn't put people off coming in the door. Once they are in, if they love the house, they may not care so much if everything else is right.

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 13/04/2019 08:05

Personally I would say no refreshments, and also no owners at home during the viewings. you don't want people feeling they have to hang around making chit chat, getting under each other's feet in a relatively small space.

Good luck - wish my house was as pristine looking as yours!

wowfudge · 13/04/2019 08:13

I agree about not having the cat in any of the photos - there's a pair of shoes in that shot too - but houses don't smell of cats. Not the same as the dogs by a long way. The EA photos aren't great - many focus on pieces of furniture rather than giving a good view of the rooms. The bedroom ones are taken at poor angles.

Move your tech before anyone views and lock it away.

BlueSkiesLies · 13/04/2019 09:36

but houses don't smell of cats

My cat doesn’t smell to me (well he smells lovely when I kiss his head) but my house defo gets a bit of a catty aroma of windows and doors aren’t open enough like during winter.

I combat it with princes pet reed thingys and an ambipure pet plug in.

Gingerivy · 13/04/2019 09:51

Agree that the floor plan is important to get up right away.

I wouldn't offer refreshments - unless you want to risk spills on your carpet and crumbs throughout the house.

And I wouldn't want to be chatting with the owner as it'd make me feel uncomfortable about looking through the house and exploring it with a critical eye to any potential problems. I'd feel I had to make small talk and such. It's not a social occasion.

Bluntness100 · 13/04/2019 10:08

No I wouldn't do refreshments, it's only open house for an hour, and you need people to view and move on. Not hang about preventing others seeing the actual rooms.

You'll get a better idea of how many folks are booked in for a viewing as thr week goes on, but you don't want them hanging around.

I'd also say it's better for you to be out and let the agent manage it.

FiveShelties · 13/04/2019 11:18

I have never attended an Open Home where the owner has been present, they have always been run by the estate agent. There has never been any refreshments available either.

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