Expert Tips for Successful Home Showings and Open Houses

Pick the Right Time

A great way to sell my house fast Conway, AR is to host an open house at the right time. These days, showings and even some open houses are by appointment only, which may limit the number of guests in your home simultaneously. To maximize visitors, avoid holding your open house on holidays, major community events (such as marathon days), or unofficial holidays such as Super Bowl Sunday.

Allow Your Agent to Take the Lead

Your real estate agent plays two roles in your Home Show. They act as the director, instructing you on how to prepare for visitors and what to do during the event. Your agent serves as the host to purchasers. They will greet viewers, introduce your home’s amazing features, and take audience questions. 

• Hosting the showing or open house
• Identifying a professional stager that you can hire
• Communicating with prospective buyers and their representatives
• Receiving input and sharing it with you during the open house

Your agent will also propose that you depart while they show off your home to outsiders. This is because:

• The buyer may feel awkward in the company of a homeowner. Buyers prefer to make their own decisions without worrying about how the seller would react or try to persuade them. 
• When the owner is around, buyers may have difficulty imagining themselves living in the house.
• Sellers can sometimes say too much. You may highlight something you believe is a wonderful feature or amenity of your house, but it may put off a buyer. 



After a showing or open house, the last thing you want buyers to believe is your house needs work, or you’re desperate. Allow your agent to take the lead because they understand how to present your home in the greatest light possible. They also understand how to strategically respond to buyer queries to set you up for subsequent success during negotiation.

Declutter Your Home

When you’re just living in your home, a bit of clutter is business as usual—but for a buyer, a mess can spell doom. You know the drill: video game cartridges in the bathroom, toolbox in the kitchen, tuxedo shirt inexplicably in the garage. But know this as a first-time seller: All this disorder can be deadly during an open house. (1) Therefore, when planning an open house, don’t forget to depersonalize, remove objects from closets and surfaces, and thoroughly clean the entire space. 

Vacuum the floors and clean down the baseboards and windows. Shoes, laundry, and dishes should be stored away. Any valuables should be removed from the home or kept away for safety. If you’re used to making your bed in the morning and not letting dishes build-up, preparing for an open house should only take a few extra steps.

Try Some Easy Staging

If you desire to sell my house fast Sherwood, AR, you want it to appear its best during an open house. Many real estate professionals believe that staging your property is the greatest way to prepare it for its big day. Staging can entail renting new furniture or decor for specific rooms in your home, depending on what your agent recommends. During your open house, you can also try some simple staging gimmicks. 

Consider putting a bouquet of fresh flowers in the foyer, setting your dining room table to seem inviting, or turning on your outdoor sprinklers just before guests come to make your lawn gleam.

Perform a Smell Test

If buyers smell something fishy, they’ll run, not walk out of your open house or showing. Request an honest, no-holds-barred smell check a week before the open house. Some suggested odor remedies include:



• If the aroma of your beloved pet(s) permeates your home, deep clean the carpets, relocate the litter box, and try to erase all the smell evidence of your pet.
• If the basement is damp and musty, purchase a dehumidifier to eliminate air moisture and use a fan to circulate the air.
• If your kitchen drain stinks, add baking soda and white vinegar. Enjoy the bubbling, then set the mixture aside for 20 to 30 minutes. Finally, flush the odor with hot water for 15 to 30 seconds.
  

Add Extra Curb Appeal to Your House

Buyers will evaluate your home based on its exterior. So, make last-minute renovations to increase the curb appeal of your home. Trim the shrubs and trees and cut the grass. Use a little paint to touch up porch fixtures and chairs. 



Paint the entire porch if your budget allows. Set out new bushes or potted flowers. Small, relatively low-cost outdoor improvements will make your home more appealing to purchasers and can add some last-minute worth to its price.

Draw Attention to the Best Features of Your Home

Typically, when your agent signs in and welcomes purchasers to your house, they will have time to explore independently. Even if you aren’t present, you can direct visitors’ attention to things you want to highlight in your home. Before the showing or open house, place (pleasant, aesthetically beautiful) placards around the house with calls to action like “look down, new hardwood floors,” or “gas fireplace, push this button.” Buyers would most likely appreciate the assistance and the fact that they are working with a responsible seller.