How to Strike it Big at Your Next Open House

Selling a home near the Twin Cities? Here’s what to consider before inviting guests to your next open house.

Everyone loves feeling welcome, and everyone loves free food. Though free appetizers won’t sell a listing on their own, tasty snacks in the foyer of your open house will encourage buyers to get comfortable asking questions, spend more time inside the home, and imagine themselves living in it.

However, serving food to a crowd can become a hassle if not done properly. The food could smell overpowering or get crumbs all over the carpets. Guests could leave trash in rooms where it doesn’t belong. In order to avoid common hang-ups that come from hosting like a friend, here are 11 tried and true tips to throwing an open house that leads to sale near the Twin Cities:

1.   Cut down on cleanup

Place a waste container and recycling bin in a very visible place next to the food and beverage station. If visitors can’t easily find a place to dispose of their garbage, they may leave it in other rooms of the house.

2.   Forget silverware

If a guest at your open house needs to use a spoon, fork, or knife to graze at your buffet, the food is too fussy. Finger foods are always best.

3.   Don’t forget about the children

If your house is a larger family home, try providing easy to enjoy foods that appeal to different tastes, like a beef jerky variety pack. Proteins fanatics will enjoy the spread just as much as the children.

4.   Stage a pretty food and beverage station

Cut some flowers from your yard or buy a seasonal bouquet to serve as the focal point. Use a tablecloth, but make sure it’s not too formal. Quality disposable cups and plates are ideal, especially if you can find colorful ones that match the theme of the room.

5.   Think small with cocktail-size plates

Smaller-size plates and napkins send the signal that you’re not serving a meal. It also helps control portion sizes, so guests don’t monopolize what you’ve prepared.

6.   Coffee is natural with house hunters

If you don’t want coffee consumed away from the station, don’t provide covers and sleeves. However, your visitors may appreciate being able to take the coffee on the road.

7.   Use candles to set the right mood

Place some scented votive candles around the table to make it feel extra special. Make sure the candles are in a safe place where they won’t be bumped into and don’t forget to blow them out when the open house is over.

8.   Water is a must

Visiting open houses can feel like a marathon for home buyers. Your guests on-the-go will appreciate a nicely prepared pick-me-up station. Try serving a large container of lemon and cucumber infused water with cups nearby.

9.   Have enough to offer, but not too much

Gauge your food needs based on the average attendance at an open house in your area. Plan for one beverage and three hors d’oeuvres per person with some extra set aside in the refrigerator in case of an unexpected rush. Be careful not to go overboard; lavish spreads could signal desperation to savvy home buyers.

10.                  Choose low-maintenance menu items

You should be able to spend your day talking to visitors and answering questions about the house, not tending to the food. Visitors should be able to easily serve themselves. If you feel the need to explain certain ingredients or identify food items, you can do so by using attractive place cards at the station.

11.                  Don’t provide alcohol

Open houses are business events, not parties. If people drink, they are inclined to stay too long and lose focus on the most important thing — the house. You also want to make sure your visitors will be able to safely drive themselves home.

Article written by Haley Kieser