There is a combined feeling of relaxation and excitement that comes upon you when you enter an open house. It doesn't have to be a great house, in fact looking at a ratty house just makes yours look better. This feeling never gets old, even after the fifty open houses I have been to in the past two years (and we are not moving, folks).
You might not consider going to open houses extremely adventurous, but on the contrary I have learned some tidbits over the years, about myself and real estate.
Here they are: (in no particular order)
1) The cookies don't help. You either want the house, or you don't. But, I will take one!
2) The one slip of paper flier is appreciated. I don't want a $5 print- out of contracts and deeds, especially when I skipped out on signing in.
3) I remind myself not to display my dirty flip flops and well-used Steve Madden flats when I have people in my walk-in closet for an open house.
4) The older the house, the more I want to see it, and the more I want to live in it.
5) The more nicely framed photos and paintings you have in your home, the more I want it. Ditto for wooden furniture. And books.
6) People who buy a home just for granite counter tops are idiots.
7) An Ikea rug is the cheapest, most temporary, and most obvious "fix" in history.
8) All roaches should be picked up before the open house.
9) An open house can only help a house sell. There have been some houses on the market for months that have never had an open house. They have not sold either.
10) Move with the times, and have the open house posted online.
11) A balloon identifier on the sign is actually helpful.
12) FLUSH people.
You might not consider going to open houses extremely adventurous, but on the contrary I have learned some tidbits over the years, about myself and real estate.
Here they are: (in no particular order)
1) The cookies don't help. You either want the house, or you don't. But, I will take one!
2) The one slip of paper flier is appreciated. I don't want a $5 print- out of contracts and deeds, especially when I skipped out on signing in.
3) I remind myself not to display my dirty flip flops and well-used Steve Madden flats when I have people in my walk-in closet for an open house.
4) The older the house, the more I want to see it, and the more I want to live in it.
5) The more nicely framed photos and paintings you have in your home, the more I want it. Ditto for wooden furniture. And books.
6) People who buy a home just for granite counter tops are idiots.
7) An Ikea rug is the cheapest, most temporary, and most obvious "fix" in history.
8) All roaches should be picked up before the open house.
9) An open house can only help a house sell. There have been some houses on the market for months that have never had an open house. They have not sold either.
10) Move with the times, and have the open house posted online.
11) A balloon identifier on the sign is actually helpful.
12) FLUSH people.
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