We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Decor

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What are the Best Open House Ideas?

By Sheri Cyprus
Updated: May 16, 2024
Views: 12,216
Share

Ultimately, the best open house ideas are the ones that will work to help get the home sold. Both the popularity and the effectiveness of open houses depend on the specific geographic area and the preferences of home buyers. With the popularity of the Internet, and the capability to include interior as well as exterior photographs of homes for buyers to look at, the number of open houses has dropped in some communities. However, many real estate professionals recommend an Internet home tour as well as an open house.

Allowing enough notice of an open house is extremely important, as even the best ideas for preparing the property aren't going to be effective if the people most likely to be interested in attending don't get word about the event in time. The best open house ideas in terms of advertising the event mean being both thoughtful and creative in reaching target buyers. Placing an "open house" sign on the lawn may result in attracting some potential home buyers driving around the neighborhood, but it's likely to result in more neighbors stopping by to better estimate the value of their own houses than in getting targeted traffic.

Placing an announcement in local real estate fliers and newspaper supplements is one of the best open house ideas because people who read these are usually looking to buy a home in the area. Typically, there is only room for one headline and a few lines describing the property for sale in these publications, so making sure to include all of the benefits that make the home stand out from the others is crucial. For example, when it comes to apartments for sale, top floor condominiums are usually in the highest demand, so homeowners with that type should include that information in their headline.

Properly preparing the listed property for the open house day should start with what is called curb appeal. Curb appeal means the property shows well right from its yard and exterior. In addition to making sure lawns, gardens and the building itself are well maintained, the best open house ideas for creating curb appeal include homey touches such as potted flowers or plants next to the entry door.

The home's interior should have all clutter and personal items such as family photographs removed and put into storage until moving day. Home buyers need to be able to imagine themselves living in the home they're considering purchasing; too many personal touches make this less likely to happen. Open house ideas to help inspire potential buyers to take an interest in the home include a neat, uncluttered appearance as well as no displeasing odors or anything that requires repair. Vases of fresh flowers placed in the rooms can give homes for sale both fragrance and a fresh look.

Share
HomeQuestionsAnswered is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
By Rotergirl — On May 29, 2014

I went to an open house a few weeks ago. The real estate agent was very pleasant and we went over the house, but I was the only one there. I'm not sure what else they could have done to attract people, but they had balloons on the sign in front of the house, as well as at the street intersections.

It was a very nice house, but when the agent told me how much it was, I knew the seller had priced himself right out of the market. It's still for sale and the open house was weeks ago. They need to slash the price by about 20 or 30 percent and have another open house with the "Reduced" sticker on the sign.

By Pippinwhite — On May 28, 2014

My cousin is a Realtor, and if she's showing an empty house, she "stages" it. That is, she gets boxes and covers them with slip covers to approximate furniture, etc. She also will bring along some simmering potpourri to have on the stove, to create a homey, lived-in fragrance. She says she can tell a difference in the number of offers when she does that one thing. She does an orange-spice mixture that smells like the holidays and cozy nights at home.

She's made a good living selling houses, so she must know what she's doing!

Share
https://www.homequestionsanswered.com/what-are-the-best-open-house-ideas.htm
Copy this link
HomeQuestionsAnswered, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

HomeQuestionsAnswered, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.