Realtor.com's Open House Do's & Don'ts

Hosting an open house? Ensure it's successful by avoiding these common mistakes.

1. DON'T attend your open house. This is your realtor's opportunity to showcase the best parts of your home and allow potential buyers to ask questions. Your presence at an open house can put pressure on interested individuals and drive away potential buyers.
2. DON'T leave your pets behind. Letting pets run free in your home during an open house can be annoying to potential buyers, especially those who aren't pet owners themselves. Realtor.com recommends sellers take their pets with them during the open house, for the safety of the animals and the sanity of potential buyers.
3. DON'T forget the kitchen. An untidy kitchen will turn off potential buyers. Make sure your kitchen is just as spotless as the rest of your home by clearing dishes from the sink AND the dishwasher--because buyers may take a peek inside! Similarly, remove any odor-causing foods from the refrigerator.
4. DO swap out your bath towels. To ensure each room of your home is “open house ready,” remove used bath towels from all bathrooms. Not only does this look more tidy, it prevents strangers from wiping their hands on your dirty bath towels during their bathroom breaks.
5. DO hire a professional, if necessary. Sometimes you just need to call a pro. Professional house cleaners will save you time and stress as you prepare your home in other ways. They'll likely hit places you wouldn't think to clean like baseboards and switch plates, and can eliminate odors you may not even notice.
6. DO get a second opinion. After you've cleaned and staged your home to your standards, ask an honest friend or neighbor for their opinion, as well. Realtor.com advises that a neutral third party can alert you to smells or eye sores you may be blind to.
7. DO clean up your yard. This includes coiling garden hoses, hiding trash bins, and raking leaves. Objects cluttering your yard can also be a safety hazard for potential buyers crossing your yard for a closer look.
8. DON'T forget to hide personal items. Realtor.com advises hiding all prescription medication, family photos, and any walkers or canes. Not only is it a good idea to depersonalize your home, but these items can also tip potential buyers off to personal information that may be used against you in the negotiation process.

Source

Life After Listing

Curious about what happens once you list your home for sale? It's always best to be prepared. Below please find some quick facts about the process that comes between listing your home and selling it.

After you list your home, your Realtor with enter it into the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which feeds to hundreds of websites such as Realtor.com. You can expect to see a "for sale" sign in your yard and a lockbox on your door, which grants Realtors access to your home when showing it to potential buyers.

During open houses and scheduled showings, its best to be out of the house. This way, the people looking at it can better picture it as their own. Also, it allows them to make open comments about the home. Your agent may hold an open house for Realtors right away, followed by one for the public on the weekend. Thus, it's important that your house is show-ready when you list. This means clean, uncluttered, depersonalized, and photogenic. For ideas on how to stage your home, read my previous blog post, here.

Most people who view your home will do so in the first two weeks. Still, in a normal market, you can expect a home to sit on the market for 60-90 days. In today's housing market, this number is lower. Ideally, you should see interest in the first six weeks. If not, work with your Realtor to discuss strategy, pricing, and home improvements that will help market your home. If a buyer requests to see your home multiple times, that's a great sign!

Ready to list? Contact me. ... and congratulations!

Keys to a Successful Open House

One great way to attract potential buyers to your home is by hosting an open house. Your agent is responsible for hosting the event; however, there's a number of responsibilities that fall to you as the homeowner. Read these three tips below to have a more successful open house.

1) Declutter. Put away kitchen appliances that take up counter space, heaps of books on end tables, and excessive personal mementos such as pictures. This will make the space look cleaner and bigger. It will also help potential buyers picture the home as their own. Consider storing extra furniture where it can't be seen, but don't stop there. It's best if you are out of sight during the open house. This will make potential buyers feel more comfortable and more willing to ask questions and spend time in your home.

2) Spend some money. It doesn't have to be a fortune, but hiring a cleaning service, buying new towels for your kitchen and bathrooms, and making minor repairs (fix leaky facets and replace burnt out lightbulbs) will show potential buyers that your home is well maintained.

3) Set the stage. You want potential buyers to get the best impression of your home. Take a few minutes to set the table, bathe pets and shampoo carpets to neutralize odors, and mow the lawn and pull the weeds in your front yard to enhance curb appeal. Curb appeal is incredibly important, as it informs a  potential buyer's first impression.

Looking for a Realtor who is experienced with open houses and other home-selling techniques? Contact me.

A Snapshot of Contemporary Home Design: The Parade of Homes is Here!

The BIA Parade of Homes is here! It features 13 homes that vary in style and price (from $450,000 Craftsmans and Colonials to $850,000 Italianate houses). An article in The Columbus Dispatch discusses the latest housing trends: master showers instead of baths, home offices, eat-in kitchen islands, granite alternatives such as marble and quartz, wall textures and surfaces, outside storage, stained and polished concrete lower-level floors, outdoor rooms, hidden garages that increase curb appeal, and built-in desks that provide computer space. The article also discloses trends of the past. Only 35% of buyers want dining rooms. First floor master suits with lounge areas are also no longer desirable. Many people consider master sitting rooms a waste of space; they also want their bedroom to be on the same level as their childrens'. Finally, having a large master suite on the first floor simply takes up space and displaces rooms that are not as appropriate on the second floor. Two-story interiors are also on the decline. People prefer family rooms with 10 or 12 foot ceilings as opposed to a "great room." This allows for another room (a second family room, loft, etc) above the great room. Check out these trends for yourself: the Parade epitomizes contemporary housing design.

Event Details

Location: Jerome Village, in southeastern Union County. Click here for directions.

Dates/Times: Saturday June 15th-Sunday June 30th
                      Monday-Saturday: noon-9pm
                      Sunday: noon-6pm

Tickets: 11$ online, 12$ at the door. Children 12 and under are free.

Parking: 2$ cash

         

A Great Escape: Lakefront Vacation Condos for Sale!

It’s hardly a secret that summer is Ohio’s most anticipated season. What makes it even better? Being able to spend day or weekend at a lake! Indian Lake is a great community on the water. People can buy waterfront condos that each come with a boat dock. Indian Lake also hosts a variety of events. Some upcoming events include Kid’s Fishing Derby, Turkeyfoot Hospice Parade and Auction, Movie on the Beach, Lakeview Car and Craft Show, Indian Lake’s Got Talent, and Beach Spectacular and Fireworks. Click here for a complete list of activities, including the place and time of each event. Indian Lake's website also details information about restaurants, boating, camping, and the community.

Still not convinced? Come to one of my open houses this Sunday from 12 to 2. I will be showing three different units, which vary in size and price. They are all in Russells Point, Ohio (in Logan County, situated on Indian Lake). Come see for yourself how sweet it would be to own a vacation condo!

To view my Indian Lake listings, click on the following links:

  241 Chase Ave, first floor Listed at $219,900. Bed/Bath: 3/2.5 

241 Chase Ave, second floor Listed at $130,000. Bed/Bath: 2/2

129 Chase Ave Listed at $109,500. Bed/Bath: 2/2

If you're interested in or have questions about the properties, contact me!