OPEN HOUSE DAYS

This is the post that  holly from club thriftywrote aboutopen house days:

" Just the other day, Greg and I went to a couple of open houses.  Now, before you start lecturing me about vapid lifestyle inflation, let me set one thing straight. We aren’t moving…we’re just bored.  Since we’re on FALL FINANCIAL LOCKDOWN, we’ve been trying to find fun (and free) things to do.  We’ve taken the kids to the park, gone on walks, and taught our four-year-old the joy of playing cards.  Hell, we even had a picnic in the park the other day, which was totally fun and free.  Anyway, I see open houses as just another form of free entertainment.  We can walk around stranger’s houses, look at their furniture, and critique their home décor…just for fun.

Although we’re not currently in the market to buy a new home, I absolutely love real estate.  I totally love going to open houses and I think it’s so fun to see what’s really going on behind people’s closed doors.  However, I have noticed some specific details that are often overlooked.  When you’re trying to sell your home, there are just certain things that you absolutely shouldn’t do.  So, without further adieu, here are five ways toNOT sell your home:

1.Stay Home During the Open House

I swear that I couldn’t make this up if I tried.  At one of the open houses we went to this weekend, the owner chose to stay home and serve as a host.  Big mistake.  We barely got in the door before she bombarded us with a whole boatload of TMI.  Then, she followed us all around the house pointing out where the bathrooms and bedrooms were…..AS IF we couldn’t figure it out ourselves.  In my mind, all I could think was “we’re not going to steal anything, lady!”  And, even after we told her that we didn’t need a tour, she forced us into certain rooms for shared memories and awkward moments.  Unfortunately, the poor lady probably has no idea that she could be scaring potential buyers away.

2.Don’t Clean

There is something disconcerting about a dirty house for sale.  Why?  It makes me wonder whether the owners ever did any of the required maintenance on their home.  It also makes me wonder if buying the home might lead to a multitude of disgusting discoveries.  And really, who wants to buy a home that needs a top-to-bottom bleach bath?  Not me. 

3.Leave Up That Wallpaper

I know, I know.  That purple paisley wallpaper was all the rage when you had it professionally hung twenty years ago. Oh, and that apple border in your kitchen? Totally bitchin’.  Unfortunately, potential buyers may not feel the same.  I’ve personally been there and done that with the whole wallpaper thing and Greg and I promised each other that we would never go down that road again.  Do you know what I see when I enter the open house of a wall-papered home?  Work.  Stress.  Mess.  To this day, my mom jokes that “we throw terrible parties” since she spent New Year’s eve 2007 helping us steam and scrape wallpaper at one of our rental properties.  Never again.

4.Leave Your Pets At Home

At one of the open houses we attended, the owner’s dog was locked up in the laundry room.  It wasn’t a big deal except for the fact that we couldn’t see the laundry room.  I mean, maybe I’m wrong but I have to assume that potential buyers might want to see the laundry room of any home they make an offer on.  In my opinion, leaving any room “off limits” during an open house may make people wonder what you have to hide.

5.Leave Personal Items….Everywhere

Having an open house is a great way to showcase all that your home has to offer.  However, potential buyers don’t necessarily want to see your prom picture from 1998.  They may also be less than amused by the pot leaf-inspired décor that you have so creatively displayed in your garage.  Oh, and that bottle of feminine wash left in your shower?  It made me feel uncomfortable.  If you want to sell your home, put your stuff away. Please."

and I must to say as Real estate agent I am completely agree with her and now I explain why:

1. . If you want to stay in your home during stranger visit you would must with your mouth close, accept the criticswith a smile,well usually every owner decided to stay in the house talk more and not always helping the sale. In the mind of owner there is more things and details I say, more people find it attractive, well the ugly truth is that person wants to see the house alone,have a own impression without pressure. So what I suggest is take a day iff fromyour house, let potential client free, man it would be their future house and if they want to put a new kitchen where now there is a studio they'll can. Use that time for meet with friends in a VERY VERY FAR restaurant, go to hairdresser, do a day trip and came back only when open house day is finish.
2. Why a Realtor suggest you to clean the house? I must also expalin why? ok Anyone want to live in a sort of trash, so when you know that is arriving an open house day, you woul do some maintenance work, maybe your house is pretty in a good neighboorhood but dirty, but a potential buyer start to think about horror house and money to spend to renovate it, also if it is quiet modern.
3. The house from outside seems nice and interesting but when you enter immediately your first thing is OMG, in wich century we are? Well usually a good realtor suggest how to show the house at its best. Is true when a potential owner look the house, start immediately to think about the mass of work,power, stress and money there will need. So if a realtor suggest to do some renovation work dont take it as insul but try to understan that is helping you to understand that century is changed and if you want to sell the house you need some compromise.
4. Ok I love animals, I don't have problems when I go to visit a house for the first time, but honestly my work is sell not buy the home. Not every people who goes to open house day likes animals, a lot are scared. Plus a dog is a sort of owner and sometimes doen't permit a complete visit because some owners choose to close the pet in a determined room.so as I suggested in the point number 1, your pet will must to have something to do, hire a dog sitter for that day, came back at home only when the open house is ended.
5. I know that your house is always your house, but is true a potential buyer doesn't need to see every aspect of  your life and habits you have from personal stuff you "accindentally"forgot in the house, personal things intimidate everyone because it seems how if you are entering in a private world, while a potential buyer would must to imagine him/herself in that house with his/her stuff.

Please homeowners everytime your real estate agent suggest something, please listen him/her, he/ she is only trying to help you selling your house at the best price and honestly if you would be a potential buyer you would buy a house that seems arrived directly from last century, dirty, with an weird dog that look you bad every step you do surrounded by pic of foreigns and their personal stuff and that foreigns persons are talking about they thousands of memories in that home?