You need to sell your home and have heard the suggestion to have an open house to generate interest. It’s a good idea, but it takes some planning to have an amazing open house.

First, get your timing right

Talk to your Realtor about when the best time to hold it would be, and start on advertising and marketing the open house. Check the newspaper or online to see if  others are also having open houses nearby and try to hold yours then as well. People like to hop from open house to open house, making an afternoon of it, so others will help generate traffic for yours.

Clean and declutter

Next, clean it, declutter it and make the home look spacious, light and NOT yours. Stow away all extras to make counters look bigger in both your kitchen and bath. Buyers don’t care about your stand mixer and coffee maker, they care about how much room the counters have. Set your table. Make your dining room look fancy and your kitchen homey. It adds a touch of class, and helps the buyers picture THEIR dinner parties. Buy and put out a new doormat at the front door. It makes people think your home is clean and you take care of it.

Fresh baked goodies smell

It never hurts to “bribe” buyers. Put out baked goods (if you don’t bake them, warm them in the oven just before the open house to get that fresh baked goodies smell) and beverages for people to enjoy. It’s a small thing, but it will get you remembered.

A sign in sheet

Be sure to have a sign in sheet so people can leave their contact information, then use it afterwards to call and thank each person who came by. That extra step, which buyers won’t expect, may just pay off in a contract. Also leave something for them to take with them. Make sure they have a property flyer to take with them including a color photo of the house and all of the necessary information about it.

Lastly, LEAVE

Don’t hang around. It makes buyers uncomfortable and will keep them from asking questions about the property and getting honest answers. Be sure to take your pets with you and stay away until your Realtor gives the all clear.