Would an open house for viewings put you off?

toc25

Hi just wanted to get some opinions if possible please.
We are about to put our house on the market and due to the fact we have 4 children and a dog I find it impossible to keep my house spotless. Also it will be difficult knowing what to do with my over friendly dog when viewers come.
So I was thinking of maybe doing an open house instead of lots of separate viewings, I'm interested to know if it would put people off viewing though?
The last thing I want is to make it harder to sell.

Any opinions appreciated, thanks

hazyjo

Open houses are usually still 'by appointment' at different time slots (mine was, as was my neighbour's).

Perhaps in a crazy market you might get 30+ viewers, but it's unlikely today.

Definitely wouldn't stop me viewing, but I'd leave it a while before making an offer in case it attracted others resulting in a bidding war.

Jx

davidmcn

Wouldn't put me off at all (it's pretty normal practice in Edinburgh just to advertise a time in the listing and anyone can drop in), the only issue would be whether the time suits your viewers and how keen you'd be to offer alternative appointments.

sparky130a

It wouldn't put me off per se but it would depend on the local market as to if i felt i had to put myself through one as a purchaser.

Open days potentially benefit the EA and the vendor. I can't really see an upside for any buyer.

I don't like being treated like a sheep and some EA's approach to these open days borders on contemptuous.

A decent agent though and it wouldn't be a show stopper.

elsien

It'd be a starting point, but what would you do for second viewings?

Could overfriendly dog go in car or crate when people look around?

Lucky_Duck_2

sparky130a wrote: »

It wouldn't put me off per se but it would depend on the local market as to if i felt i had to put myself through one as a purchaser.

Open days potentially benefit the EA and the vendor. I can't really see an upside for any buyer.

I don't like being treated like a sheep and some EA's approach to these open days borders on contemptuous.

A decent agent though and it wouldn't be a show stopper.

When looking at houses just over a year back I passed on at least one property where the vendor would only entertain viewings on an 'open day' and their proposed dates weren't particular convenient for me (I was trying to combine viewings as I was moving almost 200 miles from my old house)

toc25

Thanks everyone

The dog won't go in a crate and he gets quite distressed in the car, he is a bit of a cling on and wants to be with me or my husband all the time.

I suppose if the estate agent will do the viewings I could just take him out for a walk during the viewings.

I also work nights and am asleep in the day some days, so thinking an open day would be good for that reason too.

I think I'm maybe over thinking and stressing myself out for no reason really.

parking_question_chap

Block viewing would be fine, as long as the estate agent doesnt use it to play games.

phoebe1989seb

Our only experience of open days (as buyers) was in 2011 when we were moving long distance and like Lucky Duck, we found it almost impossible to fit them into our viewing schedule. We did attend one, where - as it was 'by appointment' - we expected to be the only ones viewing, only to find the EA had booked around six viewers into each timed slot. As each viewer arrived the EA quizzed them on their position and on leaving asked every viewer if/when they'd be making an offer. Nightmare!

That put us off doing any more, tbh.

DS and his GF bought in Brighton in 2014 and they found open days a nightmare there. In the end the properties would often go to best and final offers - good for the vendor, obviously - only for almost every sale to fall through at survey stage. They ultimately bought a flat that hadn't had an open day.

Where we live currently, open days seem to be appointment-less affairs where you just turn up at any time between say 11am and 3pm, which sounds like an invitation for nosey parkers, imho......

On the subject of dogs, we have two - a very bouncy, friendly one and an equally unfriendly, barky one - and when we sold our previous house in 2014 we just took them on a very long walk whenever we had a viewing. Keeping the place free of muddy footprints - we lived in the countryside - was a nightmare, particularly the limestone flagstones

Fortunately we sold after only five viewings......hopefully you'll do the same!

MeltingSugs

They definitely put me off. I see it as potential for a bidding war or the EA pretending there is one. No estate agent I spoke to when discussing listing ours wanted to do an open house, they said if you stuff up and don't sell at the open house you are going to find it harder when everyone looking knows there was an open house and it didn't sell. It was buyers doing it for convenience more than anything according to our EA.

If it was a very unique house I'd be more inclined to consider it, but open houses seem to be quite rare around here and it's the properties that are in need of serious renovation or non standard construction most often.

I have three dogs and stuck them outside and brought them in when I showed people the garden. Not an issue and we sold to the first people who viewed.

always_sunny

it depends on your location I suppose, SE (London and around) all house viewing (sale) were pretty much open setting; i.e. 11AM for 30 min, all in, walk around etc.
Only one place was by individual appointment, I actually prefer to roam around the place rather than have an estate agent telling me things...

Has the market in SE got quiet? I don't know!