8 Flavorful Food Ideas for Your Next Open House

There was a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.81 million existing home sales in July of 2022, and if you’re hoping to sell your property, you may be considering having an open house.

But what are the open house food ideas that can help you delight your viewers and encourage them to stay for longer? After all, the longer they are in your home, the more chance they have of realizing how ideal it could be for them.

While there are a plethora of options to choose from, you may find some food selections can charm your guests more than others.

Let’s dive in and look at 8 terrific open house food suggestions.

1. Fresh Fruit Bowls

One of the most refreshing ideas for open house food is to serve fresh fruit bowls. Fruits can be filling without being too heavy, and you can serve a selection for people to choose from for their open house snacks.

For example, you could have large platters of fruit and allow people to make up a bowl of their favorites themselves. You could also pair this idea with glasses of iced water or juice. This can help your visitors to enjoy a healthy dish while they peruse your rooms.

2. Finger Sandwiches

If you are looking for simple open house food ideas, finger sandwiches are as easy as it gets. You can quickly prepare plain ham or cheese snacks or prepare sandwiches with more unusual fillings to thrill your house viewers.

This could include ideas such as spiced tuna or mustard and tarragon chicken, potentially making your snacks a conversation starter and making it easier to chat with your viewers.

3. Potato Chips and Dips

A classic open house catering meal is potato chips and dip, and you can leave these straightforward snacks at various locations around your home. This could include having a selection of chips and dips in the kitchen and another batch at the top of the stairs. If you are playing music in the living room, you could also have more of these snacks in there to encourage people to stay for longer and soak up the ambiance.

Just remember to keep an eye on your floors as you could find small bits of potato chips scattered on the surfaces, and you may want to vacuum these up before your next viewers arrive.

4. Ice Cream

Another cool and refreshing open house food option is to serve ice cream. Your guests may particularly appreciate this if your house is crowded and warm, especially on a hot day.

While you could serve your ice cream yourself, this may require you to spend too much time in one place instead of mingling with viewers and answering their queries.

Instead, you could hire a professional sundae bar catering company to serve delicious ice cream to your viewers throughout the day. This also means the ice cream will stay cold and not melt during your open house viewing.

5. BBQ Food

If the weather is good, you could expand your open house food menu and cook on the BBQ. This option can allow you to serve substantial meals to people who arrive feeling hungry or smaller portions to anyone who would just like to snack as they walk through your house.

You can also serve meats, vegetables, and fruits straight off the grill, providing people with fresh food that melts in the mouth. This approach could encourage viewers to spend more time in your backyard, which can be useful if it’s a feature that might help to sell your home.

6. Cookies

Some people may want to grab a sweet treat when they come to view your house, and cookies make it easy for guests to wander around your home with a delectable snack in one hand. You can also serve a wide variety of cookies to appeal to many tastes, and people can even take one with them on their way home.

7. Charcuterie

Another of the best food ideas for open house viewing sessions that can get people talking is charcuterie. You can provide platters of meats, cheeses, fruits, and vegetables and pair them with dips.

This option allows you to stay near the serving area to chat with visitors, or you could encourage people to load up their plates and eat while they view your rooms.

8. Pastries

Pastries can be a scrumptious option, and you could serve many different types, such as sausage rolls, quiches, and croissants. While you can provide cold pastries, you could also heat them up and serve your food directly from the oven. This can be a wonderful way to keep your viewers warm if the weather is colder outside.

However, this can lead to a lot of crumbs landing on your surfaces, and you’ll want to be careful you don’t spend too much time needing to clear up after guests.

Pick Your Favorite Open House Food Ideas

There are an amazing number of terrific options when it comes to open house food ideas. You could go light and breezy with fruit or ice cream or provide a substantial meal cooked on the BBQ. If you prefer something in between, offering finger sandwiches can be a popular choice.

Should you be unsure what would work best for your open house, you could even combine one or more ideas to cater to just about everyone who comes to view your property!

If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, be sure to check out more of our lifestyle posts before you go.