How to Make the Most of Your Open House

Holding an open house event is a great way to show potential buyers your property, giving you an opportunity to tell them all the wonderful things about it in person, in order to entice them to sign on the dotted line. It’s a relatively new concept in this part of the world, which is fast gaining traction as a great marketing tool to help owners sell properties at the right price!

WHY organise an open house?

Open Houses are common in countries such as the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom, and they are growing in popularity here in Dubai too. This is unsurprising, given that some of the benefits of hosting an open house when it comes to selling property are:

• Potential buyers get a personal feel for the property, the kind that can’t be found from simply watching a video or visiting an empty house
• Potential buyers also get to see how many people are interested in the same property, pushing them to make an offer even faster
• Your estate agent (and you) can personally guide visitors through the house and engage with them on a more personal level
• Properties that have open house days tend to sell faster than those that don’t

While you can organise your own open house event, it’s far better to go through your property agent, as they will have a better database from which to invite potential buyers.

How To hold an open house event: Dos and Don’ts

DO Clean – Thoroughly!

Now, we’re sure that you’re thinking, ‘of course I would clean up! I’d hardly show my home when it’s a mess!’ What we mean is to walk around your house as though you’re looking at it for the first time (better yet, get a friend over) and point out everything that’s wrong – pretend you’re reviewing a hotel room if you must. Wash/vacuum the curtains and sofas, clean up that splatter from candle wax, even wipe your stainless steel kettle down and television screen…there’s no detail small enough that won’t contribute towards your home improvement efforts – it’s one of the most-repeated house selling tips!

Don’t Keep the pets around

This one is bound to raise some eyebrows, but the truth is that not everyone feels the same way about Fido and Mr Whiskers as you do. Some potential homebuyers might either simply leave with a bad taste in their mouth because they are scared of your pets (and no, putting them in a locked room for the visit isn’t a good idea either) or be turned off by the fur and hair that comes with keeping a furry friend. Board your pet for the open house or find a well-meaning neighbour who’ll watch them for the day or send them on a pet-friendly outing with a friend. And don’t forget to keep a lint roller handy to pick up any stray fur!

DO Downsize your belongings

Well, not literally. But the more things you have in the house, the more difficult it will be for a potential buyer to imagine themselves in the space. This means removing as many personal trinkets, like souvenirs and photographs that you can, not to mention decluttering your closet and re-organising it so it looks neat and presentable. Like a show home. This is also the time to rearrange any purposely placed furniture that may not make sense to anyone else. For example, do you keep a dining table chair in the lounge because that’s where the cat likes to sit? The new buyer might not find it as endearing as you do.

Don’t Ignore minor repairs

From leaky taps to loose doorknobs, wiggly drawers and even a misaligned curtain rod…what you’ve gotten used to will be off-putting to potential buyers and lower the overall value of your house in their eyes. Simple house repairs take a few minutes and some basic tools to fix the majority of common household problems. If you’re not particularly handy (and don’t have a friend who is either), call up your building/community’s maintenance team, or simply ask your security guard who he would recommend. For bigger issues, there is any number of reputable home maintenance companies that are just a phone call away.

Do Tell your neighbours about the open house

Let your neighbours know that you will be hosting an open house – and not just because they’ll be wondering why so many cars are parked on your street! Invite them over as well, mainly to help potential buyers hear from other sources how fantastic the house and neighbourhood are, as well as to make the house look especially in-demand. Another advantage of inviting the neighbours is also so that they can invite their friends and acquaintances who might have shown an interest in your neighbourhood!

Don’t schedule the open house on a public holiday or occasion

The best time to host an open house would be on the weekend – preferably on a Saturday. Not many people, even motivated investors would enjoy visiting an open house event on a public holiday or day of a popular event. And it’s also worth checking the sports schedule to make sure that the date of your event doesn’t clash with a cricket/rugby/football/tennis/ sports final…the last thing you need is a distracted fan who’s been dragged along and can’t wait to leave!

Do make sure the house smells nice

If you know that your community has a garbage pick up at 2 pm or that the truck to collect sewage is scheduled to come by during the open house, plan around it. For the inside of the house, light a few unobtrusive scented candles (natural scents work best), use some air-fresheners, or let the smell of freshly baked cookies waft through the house. And while baking batches of cookies (that you will eventually serve visitors) on the morning of an open house seems like too much effort – you can get the same effect by simply microwaving some store-bought baked goods before visitors arrive!

Don’t forget the kitchen

The kitchen is arguably one of the most important parts of the home. If upgrading the entire room (from countertops etc) proves too expensive, declutter the counter space and maybe see if you can find even one expensive / sleekly designed appliance to place in it. Just having the one instantly makes the entire kitchen look upgraded (someone you know must have a KitchenAid mixer or a Thermomix that you can borrow?) Make sure to clean up all the fridge magnets too and make the cupboards presentable – you’d be surprised how many people will open them!

Do spruce up the house

Even if you didn’t go through a fuschia pink phase, a fresh coat of a neutral colour will instantly elevate your home and make it look bright, fresh and chic. Once again, check with your maintenance company (you may be entitled to a repaint under community rules) or head to Ace, buy some rollers, paint trays and plastic sheets and do it yourself! If the walls don’t need to be painted (lucky you!) then spruce up the house by adding little touches such as fluffy white towels in the bathroom, a bright plant by the front door…the list is endless!

Don’t feel like you need to stick around!

As a seller, don’t feel like you need to stick around for the entire open house – especially if you have a good agent! Sometimes a seller can do more harm than good when showing the house to potential homebuyers. Just be sure to lock away any valuables before you leave for the day.

With all these tips and the help of the right agent, you’re sure to have a successful open house, selling your property in no time! Once you do, be sure to check out our recent Q1 market report so that you can make a sound decision and find out the different sale price trends across Dubai’s neighbourhoods.