THE PROS AND CONS OF OPEN HOUSES in Windsor, Ontario

There are different views on whether it is a good or bad idea to hold an open house in Windsor Ontario. Some Agents will flatly refuse to do open houses at all because they feel open houses do not sell houses. Some Sellers will not authorize an open house on their home because they are private and only want qualified willing and able buyers looking at their castles.

I am of the opinion that some houses are good candidates to be held open and some are not. Read on and decide for yourself whether it would be advantageous to have your place held open here in Windsor.

Price is most definitely a factor to consider. If it is a high end property maybe it is not a good idea to have an open house. It might be more beneficial have pre-selected and pre-qualified potential buyers through by appointment. For numbers sake the price cut off here in Windsor may be around $400,000 and up unless other attributes about the property come into play. This may weed out the gawlkers and dreamers or those looking for decorating ideas. Homes in Windsor priced below the 400 mark are probably a good candidate for an open house.

Location should be thought about. If your home is located in a subdivision which is more like a maze and you even you have a difficult time finding your way to it, the potential buyers will have the same problem. This could directly affect the number of people who actually get to the property to view it. If you live out in the county on a nice quiet road you will no doubt have a quiet open house.

Think about if your home. Is it in a poor state of repair? It may only appeal to a buyer who is willing to do the work. An open house may not be an option. There are buyers out there who are willing to purchase "fixer uppers" but, they generally do not visit open houses. Many times they are more of the investor type who consider real estate their business. These are serious buyers who more than likely will schedule a visit during business hours. If your home shows well then I am sure an open house would be an option.

It is a good idea to check the calender and see what local activities are planned in the City of Windsor for the week-end you are thinking of scheduling your open house. Right now the Red Bull Air Races come to my mind. One prior summer, I was excited about holding a new East End listing open. It showed like a model home. It was located on a busy but, not too busy street in Tecumseh Town. The price was reasonable, not too high. You did not have to win the Lotto 649 or be Donald Trump to buy it. I thought an open house will surely find us a buyer for this family home. I am sure it would have if I did not schedule it on the day of the 1st Red Bull Air Races in Windsor. It was an unknown event to me and everyone else. I did not even know what Red Bull was? Well...the races were extremely successful and my open house on the other hand was not.

Holidays are not the most opportune time. For example the month of December is always a crazy month. Peoples lives get so busy. I would not recommendhaving an open house past the second week of December. Of course other holidays should be reflected upon as well.

We have a lot of different houses here in Windsor and different scenarios to think about to plan for a successful open house. I hope this helped a little bit.