or being bitten by a dog who’s out of sorts and confused by the presence of strangers in his home and his instinct to protect his territory. Remember that the exterior of the house must be clean and welcoming if you want people to come inside. Either hire a professional to power wash your home and walkways or rent a power washer and do the job yourself. Your end goal is to create a pleasant, memorable experience for house hunters that will make potential buyers feel right at home. Better yet, making them feel like it could be their home. In addition to glistenin g fl oors and streak-free windows, there’s an important factor that very few sellers consider: the neighbors. Although it’s probably not th e fir st thing a house hunter considers in selecting a new home, eventually, they will be interested in learning something about the neighbors. Neighbors can be both you and your buyer’s best friends. Alternately, they can also turn out to be your biggest nightmare. Taking the surprise element out of the equation helps put buyers at ease, so it’s o ft en a good idea to invite the neighbors to participate in the open house. It goes without saying that you should make sure that the neighbors you invite are indeed people who will make buyers feel comfortable and at home. TAKE YOUR OPEN HOUSE UP A NOTCH If traditional open houses aren’t bringing in the crowds in your area, or yo ur fir st open house fel l fl at, there’s a way to up your game . Th is is known as an “extreme open house,” an open house with a party theme in which live music, catered refreshments, prizes, and even entertainment are included in the showing. Holding your open house in a party-like atmosphere gives
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