House hunting and attending open houses can be a fun, stressful, and informative experience all in one. The more you prepare to attend one, the better the experience you are likely to have. At Raleigh Cary Realty, we want all potential homeowners to be prepared for any situation, especially when attending an open house.
Here are a few things to expect when attending your first open house:
- Wide variety of people: Open houses are unique in the fact that they attract a wide range of people. While most of the attendees are potential buyers and agents, the rest are not – may it be a nosy neighbor or just curious people in the area. Since there is such a wide range of people, this can make the experience more casual and not as intense.
- Investigating: An open house gives you a first look at a home and allows you to do some preliminary investigative work. This means checking the ceiling for cracks or signs of water damage, squeaky floorboards, or where the sunlight enters the house. All these factors are important and necessary to know when making an informative house purchase, and an open house gives you that first chance to look around for them.
- Helpful agents (Make sure they know if you are working with an agent): There will be an agent running the open house, and these individuals are there to help you with any questions about the house. Feel free to reach out to them with all your questions or concerns, but know they represent the seller. This means that any information you give them, they are required to give to the seller as they represent them. If you are already working with an agent, it is good to let them know upfront, and they may give you more space since many agents also use open houses to get potential buyers.
- Providing some information: Open houses are a helpful way for the seller to show their house to more people, so it is likely you will have to sign in and provide some information like a phone number or an email address. It is also common that you will receive some form of follow-up contact afterwards.
Preparing for an open house is not that much work, especially if you know what to expect! Open houses play a crucial role in the home buying process, and all interested buyers should take advantage of them. For more information, contact Raleigh Cary Realty today to start your home search.
