6 Tips for a Successful Summer Open House
Planning on listing and selling your house this summer? An open house is a wonderful way to generate excitement and get prospective buyers interested. No matter the market conditions, an open house can help you to sell fast and for more money. How much more, you might be wondering? Sellers who host open houses will find themselves with thousands in their pockets, than those who do not. Summer is an especially good time for open houses as people generally have more availability, and the number of prospective buyers in the market is high. While summer is generally a busy season for real estate, when living in areas that see high amount of tourism such as coastal town along both North and South Carolina, hosting an open house not only generates local traffic, but also appeals to tourists who have fallen in love with the area and are looking to make their vacation more permanent.
1. Plan an Open House for A Weekend Day Afternoon or Evening
Scheduling your open house on the weekend will ensure the highest number of prospective buyers will be attending. More people are off work at this time, opting for the afternoon or early evening to ensure that buyers don’t skip out because it is too early or too late. Additionally, this time of day will provide the ideal lighting for showing off the home’s beauty.
2. Ensure the Home is Cool and Comfortable
A summer open house is a good time to show the air conditioning in your home is in working condition. Don’t turn your house into an icebox, but keep it cool enough so walking into your house is a relief from the hot afternoon sun. This can make an instant good impression on prospective buyers and ensure the experience at your open house is unforgettable for all the right reasons.
3. Offer Summertime Refreshments
If you are hosting an open house in the summer months, don’t forget the refreshments. Cold lemonade or iced tea are wonderful choices, and if you want to offer some snacks to pair with the refreshments, go with something summery like fresh fruit popsicles or watermelon. Want to take it to the next level? Bring in fun treats like a snow cone machine, or host a backyard barbecue as part of the open house. People will be more likely to linger when there are tasty snacks, and the more time spent enjoying your home, the higher the likelihood they will love it.
4. Beautify Your Landscaping
Summer is a wonderful time to present your landscaping to prospective buyers. Blooming flowers and leafy green trees are a wonderful selling point, but only if they remain well cared for. If your flowerbeds are overgrown or your lawn is brown, prospective buyers won’t be impressed. Before your open house, we recommend doing the following:
- Groom your flowerbeds.
- Weedwack and mow your lawn.
- Water everything for a fresh look.
- Clean up and make necessary repairs.
Curb appeal will add tons of value during a home sale, so take the time to optimize yours ahead of the open house.
5. Optimize Lighting
Summer is all about sunshine, and prospective buyers might be bummed if they walk out of a beautiful day into a dark, claustrophobic space. How do you maximize your light during your open house? Start by cleaning the windows and glass doors, and switch out light bulbs for bright, white-light versions. Good lighting is at the top of most buyers’ must-have lists, so nailing this at your open house is a must-do to ensure that the space feels more open, and welcoming to your visitors.
6. Bring Greenery Indoors
A design trend is to bring nature indoors–in colors, natural finishes, and living plants. Apart from a stunning aesthetic, decorating with plants provides warmth and comfort that appeals to many buyers. Plants bring freshness to a space as well as providing real, concrete health benefits and selling your home faster for more. Wondering what plants to get? Opt for houseplants with lush foliage, easy to care for, particularly if you are a plant beginner. Spider plants are an excellent choice.
When you are selling your home during the summer months, there are plenty of methods that you can easily apply to the process to make the transaction smooth sailing. An open house is prime time when it comes to gaining attraction to your home from prospective buyers, particularly if you want your home off the market quickly. We are able to use our knowledge of the local market to help your home appeal to today’s buyers, highlighting features that will help your property stand out among the rest. Contact us today to create a plan on how to effectively sell and market your home this summer!