IF YOU’RE house hunting this autumn, attending an Open House event can be a great way to view a good selection of prospective properties in one day.

Once registered, buyers do not have to book a formal appointment thus allowing greater freedom to view houses uninhibited at their leisure and check out who else is looking at the same time.

Estate agent and property advisors Strutt & Parker are holding their 12th National Open House day event on Saturday, October 8, opening the doors to all of the houses taking part up and down the country, at the same time and on the same day.

As an established event with a proven track record of success, The time-saving made through seeing a greater number of houses in one go can be a huge advantage in a competitive market.

At their last National Open House Day event in February, its properties attracted 1,600 viewings and 32 homes were sold as a result.

Sam Trounson at Strutt & Parker Cirencester says: “The difference with our national event is that properties which buyers have just seen will remain fresh in their mind on the next viewing, putting them in a better position to make choices. We have had some incredible stories of people just being curious about a house and not seriously considering buying, but going on to make an offer after viewing it on our Open House day.”

Questions to ask at your Open House event:

1. Have many offers been made?

Although it is against the law for the agent to disclose exactly how much people have offered, they will tell you how many offers have already been made. If none have yet to be made, this could take the pressure off placing a bid straight away, whilst conversely if three or four have already come in, you may need to act quickly and boldly to secure the sale.

2. Why does the seller want to move?

It is always useful to understand why a seller is moving so you are perfectly at liberty to ask. You may not always hear the real reason but ask the question anyway, and do your best to try to read between the lines.

3. How long has this property been on the market?

Before arriving at the Open House event, do your homework on property portals like Rightmove to see if the house has been on with another agent or for sale at a different price. When at the Open House, the agent can tell you exactly when they started marketing the property. If the house has been on for over six months, this may affect your offer price.

4. How much do utilities cost?

This becomes important if buyers are upsizing from a small two-bed apartment block to a four- bed detached home. Simply asking to see a few heating bills may avoid any big shocks further down the line, especially if the boiler is particularly old. And don’t forget the size of the house, even nearby trees, will have an impact on home insurance.

5. What are the neighbours like?

Most of the time the agent and seller will tell you they have had no issues with the neighbour. But if they have, don’t fear – vendors and indeed estate agents are not allowed to withhold information and so will tell you exactly what the issues are.

6. What stays with the home?

Knowing exactly what is and what isn’t included in the sale sounds obvious, but knowing this whilst viewing a property will keep things fresh in your mind especially if you want to make a conditional offer with part of the contents included.

7. What is the sellers’ timeline?

If the seller hasn’t found a home to buy and you’re in a position to move quickly, you might find yourself stuck in a chain leaving you in an uncertain position. However, if the sellers already have a place to move to and are keen to sell as fast as possible, you may be able to use this to your advantage when making an offer. In this situation, cash buyers are usually preferred as they are able to move quicker.

If you are thinking about visiting one of Strutt & Parker’s properties on their next National Open House Day on October 8th, please make sure you register with your local Cirencester office first. For more information please visit http://www.struttandparker.com/services/residential/open-house-day.

For more information please contact: Sam Trounson, Cirencester Strutt and Parker.

Telephone: 01285 653101 sam.trounson@struttandparker.com