Spokane Real Estate - Windermere Real Estate Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake
Windermere Real Estate/Valley, Inc.
Spokane Real Estate - Open Houses
Posted on April 23, 2008
Every Home Has A Story!
That is why many Sellers and Realtors are fans of Open Houses.
An Open House gives the buying public the opportunity to see, smell, touch, hear and feel a home they just may fall in love with.
In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors, more than 52% of buyers use Open Houses as an information source when looking for a home!
That is why many Sellers and Realtors are fans of Open Houses.
An Open House gives the buying public the opportunity to see, smell, touch, hear and feel a home they just may fall in love with.
In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors, more than 52% of buyers use Open Houses as an information source when looking for a home!
Most home buyers are emotional buyers. They buy a home because it "feels" right. They also buy a home because it has the features and amentites they are looking for. An Open House gives the buyer a chance to use their five senses to explore the home. A buyer can look at 100 pictures of a home, but nothing beats a tour with their agent or an Open House.
And, the agent holding the home open can answer questions about other homes available in the neighborhood, give you directions to other open houses, and tell you where all the closest amenties are. Things like schools, libraries, bus routes, shopping, resaurants, etc.
Here are some Open House tips for Sellers and some reasons to attend Open Houses for buyers.
Sellers:
Guess what? Buyers are picky. There are probably some irritating things about your home that you have just become accustomed to. Like, a leaky faucet, peeling paint, missing lightbulbs, batteries missing in smoke detectors...you understand where I'm going with this. As a seller you may have forgotten about these things but an "eagle eye" buyer will certainly notice them. 
Let's start with the "first impression" or Curb Appeal. Imagine driving to your home if you were the buyer. How would you feel about a cluttered driveway, garden hoses spread across the lawn, tools or toys scattered about? Prepare for a good first impression by adding fresh bark to bare areas in flower beds. Plant some new "yellow" flowers near the entrace of the home - yellow attracts the eye and makes visitors feel welcome.
Let's start with the "first impression" or Curb Appeal. Imagine driving to your home if you were the buyer. How would you feel about a cluttered driveway, garden hoses spread across the lawn, tools or toys scattered about? Prepare for a good first impression by adding fresh bark to bare areas in flower beds. Plant some new "yellow" flowers near the entrace of the home - yellow attracts the eye and makes visitors feel welcome.
Entryway: Studies have shown that pleasant scent causes people to stay longer and have a better experience. Scented candles, especially cinammon, apple pie, or other freshly baked scents work best. Other ideas; remove clutter, throw down a new rug, add flowers or art to create a welcome entrance. 
Living Room: Again, remove clutter, start packing personal items. Arrange your furniture for easy movement through your homes. You may even remove some of the extra furniture. Seasonal accent items like flowers, a cozy blanket in fall or winter, or eye-catching throw pillows for spring and summer.
Bathroom: Remove anything from the bathrooms that does not fit the image of a luxury hotel bathroom. Add new towels, empty the garbage, hang a new, white shower curtain and maybe a white area rug. Place scented candles or aroma sticks in the room. Remove everything but hand soap and guest towels from the counters.
Kitchen and Dining Area: Make it sparkle and shine. Add flowers, fresh coffee, water bottles or maybe some candies.
Remove extra appliances from your counters. Take down all the artwork, calendars and pictures from the refrigerator.
Remove extra appliances from your counters. Take down all the artwork, calendars and pictures from the refrigerator. Closets: Start packing. Try to fill the closets to only 50% capacity and hang all clothing on matching hangers. Put all the shoes away. Remove all objects from the floor and shelves.
Master Bedroom: Neutral colors work best. Including the bedspread. Clear the tops of dressers, night stands and headboard. Open up windows to show how light, bright and cherry the room is.
Outdoors: Maximize the benefits of your outdoor living space. Declutter the entry, patio, and deck. Try to pick up tools, hoses and toys. Create a simple seating area with one or two chairs and a table. Make sure your landscaping is dialed in. Pull weeds, add fresh bark, mow the lawn.
Garage: Declutter. Treat the garage space as you would the inside of the home. Make sure it is clean and inviting.
Buyers:
The most common way to find Open Houses is to follow the signs you see on Saturday's and Sundays. As the weather warms, you may start seeing Open Houses on weeknights! You can also find Windermere Open Houses on the websites listed below.
Many times, buyers will drive to the Open House, but not go in! Buyers, please head on in. The Realtor is not going to "bite". This is your opportunity to really get a feel for the home. Remember the saying, "You can't judge a book by it's cover"? Go on in and enjoy yourself!
Windermere works hard to bring buyers and sellers together through Open Houses.
You can see scheduled Open Houses at:
We also feature Open Houses on the Windermere TV Show, which airs each Sunday at 11:30 on Channel 22.
Thanks for reading and I hope we see you soon at our Open Houses!
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