Selwyn Times: April 11, 2018

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[Edition datE]
What you need to know about open
homes when you’re selling a property
As Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
recently commented while visiting a family
in Samoa, there is nowhere more sacred
than your home. Welcoming visitors is one
thing, opening it up to complete strangers
is another situation entirely.
When you’re selling a property you get
to decide how the open home process is
run. If you’re working with a real estate
agent, this is will be part of the marketing
plan that you agree upon with them before
you sign the agency agreement. The real
estate agent will advise you on the timing
and frequency of open homes, or any
other viewings. If there is anything you
are uncertain about, talk to the agent and
make your feelings clear. There’s no law
that you have to have open homes – you
may decide that you’d rather have viewings
by appointment only.
“Bear in mind though that in order to
sell your home, people will have to see it,”
says Kevin Lampen-Smith, chief executive
of the Real Estate Authority (REA). “You
may have to be flexible on when viewings
are held, even if they are not particularly
convenient.”
If you are selling privately, you have full
responsibility for running any viewings.
This can be time-consuming and has the
potential to be distressing if you’re not
braced to hear other people’s criticisms of
your property. Some private sellers get a
friend to help out for this reason.
When it comes to the marketing and
selling process of your home it’s a good
idea to look at things from the perspective
of the real estate agent and any prospective
purchaser, Lampen-Smith says.
“Open homes often attract people who
are just browsing to see what’s around, or
neighbours who have always wanted to
see what ‘that house at number 10’ is like.
The agent will report back to you after the
open home to let you know the level of
interest – if they have kept an electronic
or paper record of visitors it will give you
an indication of how many visitors were
sticky beaks from down the street.”
In an ideal world, people will treat your
home with respect when viewing it, he
says.
“If you suspect they will need
reminding, request that the agent asks
visitors to remove any wet weather gear or
shoes before entering. Most people go on a
major cleaning, tidying and de-cluttering
mission before putting a property on the
market, which will make it much easier
to prepare it for an open home. It’s a
good idea to clear away any valuables or
personal items (if time is short, dump
them all in a washing basket that you can
pick up and take with you) and use your
own common sense about what you want
strangers to see.”
Don’t shove things into cupboards or
wardrobes – prospective buyers will be
keen to gauge storage capacity. Remember
that families with small children could be
going through your property and delicate
ornaments or family heirlooms might be
better out of harm’s way.
Selling a property can be a stressful time,
but you’ll make it much easier on yourself
if you work out a plan of attack, including
getting the advice of professionals along
the way, Lampen-Smith says.
“Present your home well and it’s more
likely to attract another set of owners.”
For independent advice on buying or
selling property, check out settled.govt.nz.