Open Houses: Are They Worth It?
Author: Kirsten Hawkins

Many home sellers who wish to expose their property to a larger
market make the decision to hold an open house, and schedule a
date and time during which they invite people to come and
explore the property. Is it worthwhile for potential sellers to
go through the hassle of an open house? Is it more risk than
reward?

Of course, plenty of homes are sold through private showings,
scheduled only between the home owner, the realtor, and the
buyer. But the publicity of a well-advertised open house can
bring in a larger sphere of interested people who might not
have been exposed to the property otherwise.

Many people in the market to buy a home can't leave work or
family to go house-hunting during the week; it can be difficult
to find a time that works for both the buyer and the owner. Open
houses make this simple. They are usually held on weekends, and
all parties have plenty of advance notice. Not to mention the
fact that a buyer at a well-prepared open house sees a much
more pleasing display than one who is led through the house at
9:30 on a Monday morning.

However, all of this can come at a price. The number one
concern among home sellers regarding open houses is security,
for their possessions as well as their property. A seller who
is already packing up to move might be very amenable to the
idea of an open walkthrough, but one who is still living in the
home would have quite a lot of preparation ahead. Things can,
and do, get broken or stolen at open houses. It takes a great
deal of time to organize a household's worth of belongings in
such a way that several strangers poking through the house at
once, trying to see how big the closets are, will not disturb
them.

There is another security factor. Home owners are often just
plain bothered by the idea of people seeing what they own and
getting a chance to essentially case the joint. This is another
reason why, if the owner is unable to store their property
elsewhere during the open house, it may not be worth the risk.

Those who feel that an open house would be a good move in their
market simply need to act smart. Request the help of your
realtor, friends, and family, and pack away belongings. Provide
adequate supervision in every room during the open house. If you
would rather organize the open house into a series of guided
tours, with one starting every fifteen minutes, this is a
possibility (although you might lose one or two buyers who
would prefer to wander free).

Basically, if your house doesn't have a lot of curb appeal and
is short on offers, it might be worth your time to let
potential buyers get a free peek inside. It can be a secure and
helpful step in the selling process, provided you take the time
to prepare for it.


About The Author: Kirsten Hawkins is a real estate expert from
Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.king-of-real-estate.com/ for
more information on real estate, mortgages, and finding the
house of your dream.