Open House in Inclement Weather

"To cancel or not to cancel … that is the question."

When selling your home in the fall, and as the weather becomes decidedly more winterish, you may question if having that open house is a good idea after all.

Here are some things to consider before cancelling your open house.

• Buyers that venture out in the rain are more likely to be serious buyers and not simply curious lookers.
• Buyers will know that your home is warm and cozy in bad weathers.
• Your property's solid structure will come shining through
• If you cancel, buyers might be concerned that your home has leaks in windows, roofs or basement areas or that your drainage is less than optimal
• And, if you cancel after someone made all the effort to come out in the rain to see your house, it might deter them from trying to see it another time

So what do you do to compensate for the weather?

Be prepared to make the experience as pleasant as possible:

• Turn on all the lights. You want your home to be as bright as possible so that potentials buyers sense your home is warm and inviting.
• Open up all the drapes, shutters and blinds.
• Make sure your gutters are clear of debris and that water is flowing freely from gutter to downspout and diverted away from sidewalks
• Provide doormats for people to wipe their feet and towels to dry off with
• Provide an umbrella stand so that their wet umbrellas have a home
• Recognize that odors may seem stronger on damp days, remove pet beds to the garage and use lightly-scented fabric refreshing sprays like Febreze to eliminate odors in carpets, drapes or furniture

In addition, you might have coffee and to-go cups on hand so your real estate professional can send them on their way with a warm cup of brew.

When a large number of real estate professionals were polled about cancelling an open house because of rain, a large number claimed they had sold several homes on rainy days.

If you have questions about having an open house during the late fall and winter months, consult your real estate professionals. They know your market, and they know the kinds of people that will take the time — rain or shine — to visit their potential new home.