Making The Most Of An Open House Visit
A real estate open house gives you a great opportunity to learn more about a house and whether it fits your needs. However, this is only possible if you know what to do during the open house. Here are a few tips on how to benefit from an open house:
Take Notes
Take your notebook with you when you go to an open house. There will be lots of things to see and lots of questions to ask; you shouldn't expect to recall them all from memory. Besides, as a suave buyer, you will visit multiple open houses or view multiple houses before settling on one. you need to remember every important detail about each house you visit without confusing them, and the best way to do this is to take notes. That is the best way to remember the size of the yard, the type of closets, the condition of the roof, and the included appliances in each house, among other things.
Ask Questions
Don't just go to an open house to literally "view" the house; you should be ready to ask the seller's agent as many questions as you have about the house. This is because there are some things you won't just see; you need answers from the agent to understand them. For example, you should ask the agent why the seller is selling the property, how long the property has been on the market, and such things.
Watch Other Buyers Too
You can also learn some things about the property by watching other buyers. Yes, watching another buyer's reaction may reveal things that you might have overlooked. For example, if other buyers are drawn to the water heater or furnace, you should check it out to know what the fuss is all about. If most buyers are not staying too long in the house, take your time to figure out why they aren't interested in it.
Don't Reveal Too Much
Lastly, you should remember that visiting an open house gives you the opportunity to learn more about the house and its seller, but it shouldn't be the other way around. That is, you should not let the seller and their agent learn about you because they may use the information to your disadvantage (and their advantage) during the negotiations if you end up making an offer. For example, they may play hardball during the negotiations if they learn that you are in a hurry to buy.