Three things you might like to know about the Sunday open house tradition

It's Sunday and you know what that means: Open houses abound in Arlington and the Boston Metro West area. The front doors of single-family homes, condos and multi-families are wide-open, welcoming strangers in to check out every inch of their interior space from top to bottom. Pretty amazing when you think about it, don't you think? I often wonder how the idea got hatched and continues to thrive. It does say something about our trust in one another, our curious nature and the hobby of “just looking."

Here are three points of interest regarding the Sunday afternoon real estate tradition:

1. Usually you'll find the most properties open to visitors will be on Sunday afternoons, anywhere from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Properties available to be seen are advertised in newspapers, posted on Craig's List, found on real estate websites and even just the placing of an open house sign (with or without balloons) in front of the home.

 

2. And who can attend? Anyone. Yes, anyone. Some come because they have planned their afternoons on checking out homes. Others come because they happen to be driving by, see the sign (with or without balloons) and think "why not" take a look. And then there are the curious neighbors and homeowner in the neighborhood who may be thinking of selling in the future, see the open house as an opportunity to compare their home with the home for sale. No one is turned away, no one is qualified at the door. It is open for your viewing pleasure. Pretty nice, huh?

3. Who's hosting the event? The seller or a representative of the sseller—a real estate agent—usually greets the visitor at the door. They say “hello," possibly point out something about the property they think is of special interest. More than likely they will ask you “sign-in" on a prepared sheet, and this can be a “wait a minute" moment for many. Often visitors feel annoyed by this request and may resist. For the record, the seller’s agent is hoping to capture your info for further communication (information you may find useful) with you but it also serves to assure the seller that the folks coming through are in their home in good faith, to do nothing more than look and maybe even buy. If you don't want to give any additional information, you don't need to—in most cases, your name will suffice. You'll be given a sheet with the property details and now you're free to look around and come you own conclusions about the house, condo, townhouse or multi-family!

Enjoy the Sunday afernoon experience!