Open house events are extremely important for people who want to sell their property fast. If you know how to do them correctly, you’ll be able to not only reduce the amount of time your house has to stay on the market, but also significantly increase the average value of the offers you get. Open house events can also be a great way to connect with your new neighbors, for networking, or to celebrate a particular milestone. Organizing an open house party or property showing takes some significant planning, however, and small mistakes could have far-reaching consequences. Let’s take a look at how you can prepare your property for an open house.
Make Sure that the Right People are Invited
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While open houses are supposed to be for the public, you can and should have control over who will come. The only way to do this is to keep the event hush while inviting key people you want to be there. You can also encourage them to spread the word to the people in their immediate circle so you can bring a cohesive group of like-minded people together.
If it is for a business or networking event, this is pretty simple to do. Pull names from your contact list of your CRM and send virtual or physical invitations to them. You should also follow up with messages to make sure that they remember the event.
If you’re going to send physical invitations, you have to make sure that they look good and professional. If you’re looking for inspiration, you should check out these open house invitations from Greenvelope. They have a wide variety of open house invitations you can choose from, and they can be customized to your taste. They have templates for all sorts of events too, so look at all their templates and see if one would be a good fit for yours.
Remove the Clutter
Next, you will have to start organizing the space for the event. The best thing you can do right now is to try to find some storage space and tuck away everything you don’t need. This is especially important if it is for a real estate showing.
If you have tools around that you’re not using, put them in self-storage. You could also remove any big pieces of furniture that could get in the way or remove items you care about and want to protect. The fewer things you have around, the lesser the chances someone bumps into something and causes spills and damage. You’ll also have more space for entertainment, seating, or catering.
Choose the Right Time
You’re not obligated to have your open house in the evening. Daytime open house parties can work just as well, if not better. A backyard BBQ is a great setting for networking or a housewarming as it will feel more relaxed. You could also get more people to show up if you hold the event during the day.
Get the Place Professionally Cleaned and Staged if Necessary
If your goal is to sell the property, then you have to consider hiring a home stager too. The decision to have the home professionally staged will depend on the value of the property and how much you expect to get out of it, however. There is no benefit to staging a home if you can’t get an ROI, so this is something you’ll have to discuss with your real estate agent.
One thing all homeowners should do before selling the house is to have it professionally cleaned inside and out. A dirty exterior will deter buyers just as much as a poorly decorated or dirty interior, so take care of this as soon as possible. Have the driveway and sidewalk power cleaned and any apparent issues fixed before you welcome people in.
Think about Food and Entertainment Options
You also need to look at food and entertainment options. You could go for something simple like finger foods and drinks or you can go all out and hire a chef or catering team. It all depends on the kind of event and how much you’re willing to spend.
If it is for a company event, then it would be a good idea to go for something more elaborate and consider bringing entertainers in. You could have street performers or acrobats entertain people in the backyard or hire a professional DJ. If you don’t want to spend money on a DJ, you can ask someone on your team if they’re familiar with DJ equipment and have them handle the turntables.
The better the entertainment and food are, the more memorable the event will be. You’ll also get more shares on social media and less trouble generating buzz for your next event.
Get the Neighbors Involved
If it is a housewarming event, then you could save money by turning the event into a potluck. Potlucks are great for many reasons. First, you won’t have to spend as much on food, but it’s also a good way to learn about other people. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they cook, and something as simple as a dish can be a great conversation starter. So, if you want to bring the people from your neighborhood together and become a part of it, consider this option.
Consider Hiring Security
We are not saying that you should have a full security team here, but you never know what could happen at an open house event. So, we suggest that you have at least two to three security people handling door traffic and access from the backyard to the house. They also need to be there in case some guests become unruly and need to be kicked out.
Have Waste and Sanitation Covered
One of the things many people overlook when it comes to open houses is waste management and sanitation. You need to have enough garbage bins for everyone and make sure that you have separate bins for paper, recyclables, and general waste. You also have to have enough restrooms for everyone. If you’re expecting hundreds of people to be present at one time, then you need to have alternatives set up for them. You could have porta-potties set up in the backyard to reduce traffic to the indoor bathrooms. They’re pretty cheap to hire and you’ll make your guests much happier by hiring a few, so think about this option.
Prepare for the Aftermath
You have to be ready for everything that will come after the event too. Who will help with the cleaning? Will it be people from your group or a professional team? Do not underestimate how much work you’ll have to do after an event and consider having the job done by professionals. You never know if the people you appoint to do the job will be up for it when the rubber meets the road, so it’s always better to hire people if possible.
Open houses can get complex from a logistical standpoint, so you need to prepare for them months in advance and have a solid plan. If you follow our tips, there will be fewer chances of something unexpected happening and your event is more likely to be a success.
