The community where I live is totally loaded with both historical and architecturally significant homes, most notably from the post Civil War era through the early 1900’s.  The homes really are stunningly beautiful and most are impeccably restored and maintained.  No surprise they’re expensive too!

Well, last night was the annual Christmas time candlelight tour where seven homes are graciously opened up to paying tour takers.  Obviously a bit different than the open houses hoping to sell a property, but there are a few tips that I can offer for any open house after taking the tour last night. 

Be Prepared For Wintery Weather

For most of us here in the states, it’s just darn near impossible to predict what messy weather winter will bring next.  Where I’m at, mother nature graced us with about a half inch of ice yesterday morning and early afternoon – just in time for the big evening house tour.  The tour went out, but thankfully its organizers were well prepared with plenty of salt to clear the walkways.

The Shoes Off Policy

Understandably, after trekking through all the slush and sleet, owners of the homes on tour certainly don’t want all of that stuff tracked into their homes so it can destroy their wood floors and carpets.  The solution was the use of plastic grocery bags for shoes and disposable booties to go over socks for an extra layer of protection.  This might seem like a bold request at a seller’s open house, but in wintery circumstances, I’m sure visitors would understand.

Spin Those Tunes

Since the annual house tour was Christmas themed, it was only expected that Christmas music would pleasantly adorn the homes during the tour.  Some homes had pianists playing while another had a harpist.  Clearly, this is too much for the everyday selling open house, but it might be beneficial to have some pleasant ambient music playing while potential buyers do their browsing around the house.  Music is proven to excite emotions and the right music could possible help sell the home.  Better keep it low key and quiet though.

Winter is traditionally a difficult time to sell homes, but by taking a few steps to accommodate any issues the season brings, it’s still possible to hold open houses even if the weather doesn’t cooperate.