House Viewings And Offers

Once you have your advertising arranged with a property web site and a 'For Sale' board put up outside your house you can expect enquiries about your home to begin rolling in. You will need to organise your diary to make time for viewings that you arrange. For each inquirer take their name and telephone number in case you need to call and rearrange the viewing.

Prepare for The  House Viewing

• Print out the property details (your advert) for the viewer to take away.

• Know how much the utility bills and Council Tax are so you can answer any questions about these.

• Open blinds and curtains and turn on lights to make the place look bright and open. 

• Buyers sometimes have a hard time picturing themselves in a house that is filled with too many pictures of others so remove personal or family photographs. Sparsely decorated walls also give the illusion of larger space.

• Replace pictures with plants or fresh flowers. Fresh flowers in the kitchen also add appeal.

• Bake bread, or prepare fresh coffee to give your home a welcoming aroma.

• Set out bowls of potpourri in the bedrooms and bathrooms.

• Put out fresh towels and soap in bathrooms.

• Pay special attention to keeping pet areas clean and free of odour.  

Eliminate Distractions

Arrange if possible to have pets out of the house or put away. Some people are allergic to animals or are afraid of them.

Children can also be a distraction so plan for them to visit  friends.
 
Turn off the television.

When showing the house do not apologise for anything about the appearance or point out any negatives. It will only draw attention to something the buyer may have overlooked or at the very least will emphasise it.

Limit showings to the weekend and perhaps one other day during the week. By limiting the number of viewings you are giving yourself the best chance to have your house looking its best for prospective buyers.

Showing Viewers Around

Lead the buyers through the property following a route you have previously planned.  If the buyer is especially positive about a certain feature e.g. the view of the garden from the kitchen window, make sure you return to this feature to emphasise it.

Point out all the positive points of each room and help them imagine living in their new home.

Gather information about the buyer during the course of the viewing to help determine if he/she is suitable.

After The Viewing

Contact the viewer after a couple of days if they have not already contacted you first. If they are not interested try to gather some constructive feedback about the property.

Accepting An Offer

If an acceptable offer is made you must now get a solicitor/conveyancer involved. Your solicitor will require details of your buyer and your buyer's solicitor. You will also need to draw up an inventory of everything that is included in the sale and which items are not included.