5 Things to Keep Out of Sight During an Open House

The open house is the first impression your home makes on potential buyers. It’s kind of like a first date, you want to get your home all cleaned up and looking its best. When you’re prepping your home be sure to keep these items out of sight, it can mean the difference between an offer and a walk out the door!

1. Valuables – We promise prospective buyers usually aren’t jewelry thieves, but it’s always best to keep valuables (jewelry, cash, credit cards, etc.) out of sight or in a secure place when you have a lot of foot traffic through your home. This way it’s one less thing to worry about, and we know you could live with less worrying during this time!

2. Personal Photos – Don’t get us wrong, your family is beautiful. And that picture of your dog catching the tennis ball? The stuff dreams are made of. But it’s essential for prospective buyers to be able to imagine themselves in your home and that can be hard with your daughter’s graduation photos on the mantle.

3. Unfinished Chores – The last thing a prospective buyer wants to see is a pile of laundry or a sink full of dishes. Because, let’s be honest, it’s a reminder of all the chores everyone still has to do at home. We want this first impression to feel like a super clean fantasy house, so save the laundry for tomorrow!

4. Alcohol – No judgment, we love a glass of wine at the end of the day too. That said, you never know who will walk through the door and what associations they have. A fully stocked bar cart might be enticing for some, but it’s not always a great sell for a buyer who doesn’t drink. Best to keep our cocktail preferences to ourselves and appeal to all audiences.

5. Prescriptions – We don’t want your personal medical history aired for the general public (and we’re sure you don’t either!). Keeping prescriptions out of sight in a drawer or medicine cabinet keeps the bathroom area clean and organized and removes the worry of anything being misplaced.

More questions about preparing your home for an Open House, or want to talk through your options when selling your home? We offer all of our selling clients two photo-preparation walk throughs to help with furniture, wall arrangements and finishing touches. Contact us early and we’ll make the process as easy as can be! Shoot us an e-mail at nextdoor@unlimitedsir.com.

Where We Work: Brewery District, Jamaica Plain

We work all across Greater Boston to make the real estate dreams of buyers and sellers come true. In this series we’ll be sharing with you the neighborhoods we work in, as well as the micro-neighborhoods within them that each have a unique culture and property appeal.

The Brewery District is a vibrant, tight-knit neighborhood nestled between the Southwest Corridor Park and the main artery of Jamaica Plain. Here your front door is just steps from the Stony Brook MBTA station for a quick commute downtown.

Kids can walk to any of several local schools including the bilingual Rafael Hernandez K-8 School. After class the Corridor boasts playgrounds and parks for families, basketball courts, and soon a new skate park. Rumor has it, it may someday host JP’s first-ever dog park too.

You’ll find the Sam Adams Brewery Complex. This mixed-use compound is home to over 30 local businesses, 50% of which are owned by women or entrepreneurs of color. It’s also the site of the bustling Egleston Square Farmer’s Market every Saturday May-November. You can hit the gym, peruse art galleries, take dance lessons, play taproom trivia, and dine out at celebrated cafes and restaurants all while supporting the local economy.

The strong community in the Brewery District has spent decades cultivating the flourishing artistic and natural landscape in the area. It’s hard to find a more compassionate and engaged group of neighbors than these.

Want to be the newest addition to the Brewery District family? Call us at 617-942-1741 to start your home search. Our team member Susan Scheele lives in the neighborhood and would love to give you our insider tips.

What to Expect From an Open House

So you’ve decided to buy your first home and you want to start looking at properties during open houses. This is a great first step! If you haven’t been to an open house before, it’s just a window of time when anyone who is interested in a property can go by to check it out. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you start visiting open houses.

The Listing Agent Hosts…and Watches

You probably won’t meet the sellers during an open house. The sellers’ agent typically hosts an open house and the owners are often advised to go elsewhere. But the listing agent will be prepared to answer any and all questions. You can also get a sense of whether the listing agent seems organized, agreeable, and easy to work with as they will be your primary point of contact (or at least your agent’s) during this process.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the listing agent is probably watching you. Not in a stalker way but just to gauge your interest and demeanor. Put a smile on your face. Keep any negative comments to yourself because they might turn off the seller’s agent. And your expression? Pure poker face. In case you want to submit an offer, you’ll want the sellers’ agent to have a good first impression of you.

You Can Look Around

That’s why you’re there! Be respectful of course, no rifling through people’s belongings, but you can take your time walking through, take notes, take pictures (with permission) and get a feel for the place. You are allowed to look inside things like closets and cabinets to get a sense of space and storage. You can even take measurements if you have a very large piece of furniture that’s important to you, but most open houses will have a floor plan and square footage on hand.

You’ll Have to Provide Some Information

You’re going to come away with a ton of information and probably print outs about this house. But the sellers’ agent is also going to ask for some information from you. Usually you’re asked to register when you come by, provide your name, e-mail address, and whether you’re working with a real estate agent. This is actually a legal concern; if you’ve signed an exclusive agreement with an agent another agent is prohibited from working with you. Plus, there is a record of who has been through the house in the unfortunate event something goes missing from the home during an open house.

Going Solo or With an Agent? Both Work

Open houses don’t require you to have an agent so you can stroll through them on your own. Early in your search this might be a helpful way to discover what you like and don’t like and what you want in your own home. But when you’re seriously looking, attending open houses with an agent can be a big bonus. Having done this many times before, they will likely have helpful insights and can point out features that you might not have noticed. They can also do a more thorough vetting of the houses before you visit to make sure they’re worth your time, energy and hard earned money!

If you want to start looking at homes with an agent, we’d love to help you do that! Contact us at nextdoor@unlimitedsir.com or 617-942-1741 to get started.