Preparing for an Open House

You've selected Mike Hermes Jr. and Bradfield Properties to help you sell your home, and now your ready for an Open House.

Before the Open House begins, you'll need to objectively look at your home from a buyer's perspective. Your current home seems fine to you, but potential buyers will critically examine every inch of your house before they decide to buy. The principle of the Mike's Marketing System is designed to help you identify potential problem areas and fix them before you hold an Open House.

It offers helpful tips for how to:

• Enhance your homes perceived value.
• Rearrange furniture to make your room appear larger.
• Concentrate your efforts on key areas.

Holding an Open House

• Look at your home from a buyer's perspective.
• Identify areas that require minor repairs, cleaning up or improving.
• Give your home exposure with an Open House - a specified time when interested buyers can our your home.
• Let your sales associate handle the Open House arrangements, but do what you can to make sure your home looks its best.
• Rely on Mike Hermes and Bradfield Properties for help in getting your home ready to sell - and in staging a successful Open House.
• Clean and clutter-free
• Keep the kitchen sink free of dishes.
• Keep the rooms uncluttered.
• Clear countertops in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Store unused items in a closet or cabinet.
• Arrange storage areas neatly; buyers will look inside.
• Put away lawn equipment and gardening tools.
• Neatly arrange outdoor items such as firewood or furniture.

Decorate your home to sell

• Arrange the furniture so the rooms look as spacious as possible.
• Add color and fragrance to any room with fresh flowers.
• Put a bowl of fresh fruit in the kitchen.
• Display fresh towels and guest soaps in each bathroom.
• Put new logs in the fireplace.
• Set your dining room table with color-coordinated place mats and table settings.
  Put out a new doormat.
• Open drapes and pull up shades.
• Replace light bulbs with the highest wattage bulbs your fixtures will allow. Turn on the lights to make rooms seem brighter and larger.

Make your home inviting

• To give your home a pleasant aroma, bake cookies or bread, burn candles or potpourri, boil a pot of cinnamon sticks, and/or put a dab of vanilla on cold lights before turning them on.
• Grind a piece of lemon or other citrus fruit in your garbage disposal to eliminate lingering food odors.
• Ask a friend to care for your pets or take them to the kennel.
• Mike will promote your Open House on the Bradfield Properties Home show,in the San Antonio Expressnews, with a yard sign, and through other eye-catching materials. Inside, he or she may display information for people to take with them.

Staging a successful open house
 

• Plan to be gone during the Open House so that prospective buyers will discuss your home openly with your sales associate.
• If you can't leave, let your sales associate do the talking. He or she can discuss the price, terms, possession and other factors, as well as handle objections or questions.
• Be polite to prospective buyers but avoid conversations. Allow your sales associate to command their complete attention.
• Don't apologize for the appearance of the condition of your home. You may be calling attention to the things the buyer had overlooked.
• Don't complicate the sale of the home by tacking on drapes, furniture, rugs, etc. allow the sales associate and discuss the next step in your marketing plan.
• Discuss the results of the Open House afterwards with your Agent and discuss the next step in your marketing plan.