Ideally you should advertise both the weekend before and the weekend
of the open house. Check with the local paper to see when their ad
closing deadlines are.
Create
a property summary sheet.
Develop
a sign-in form for prospects’ addresses.
Put
up signs.
Get
your house ready.
Develop
a follow-up sheet.
This sheet gives prospective buyers an overview of your home.
Include dimensions for each room, copies of a property survey,
summaries of utility costs and property taxes, and a list of when
capital items such as roofs and furnace were added.
You’ll ideally want both phone numbers and e-mail addresses to
follow up with prospective buyers.
One or two days before the open house, place directional signs at
major intersections within three to four blocks of your house. Be
sure you check on anti-sign regulations in your area.
Remove clutter, clean your house, wash your windows, add flowers,
turn on lights, open draperies and blinds, remove valuables and
breakables, confine pets, turn on soft music, and set up a table for
your property fact sheet near the entrance.
Getting feedback on your home from prospects who attended your open
house will give you a better understanding of how to make your home
more appealing to buyers.
Reprinted
from REALTOR® Magazine (RealtorMag.Realtor.org)
with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Copyright
2008. All rights reserved.