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Sellers - first impressions count
circuit
Posts: 508 Forumite
We have viewed about 25 houses in two weeks and I thought I would pass on our thoughts while they are fresh in my mind. It is very true that our first impression as we drive up the street is the impression we take away with us (however unfair this is) - but we have also found that certain things have greatly influenced us and changed our minds after we've left.
Smell - funnily enough, the smell is the thing that first hits you and the thing you will remember afterwards. We viewed a house on Sunday which was owned by smokers and had brown and beige decor. Now, when I picture it, I just think of the stale tobacco smell.
Decor - We may be unusual, but we don't like the magnolia look. We viewed another place on Saturday that was impeccably done up by a property developer, and looked like a cardboard box full of cheap thin brown carpets. The kitchen was huge and really appealed to us, but the rest of the house was a whole lot of beigeness. We would actually have had to re-carpet the whole house as the flooring was so cheap.
Laminate floor is a definite no-no. It's used in rental properties, so most people our age (late 20s) have bad impressions of it - it's cheap and nasty and makes houses look studenty. It also gets dirty very quickly and shows footprints.
It's OK to be colourful and bold! We saw a house with a chimney breast covered in modern flock wallpaper and we loved it. Another with a bright red Ikea kitchen caught our eye. If you are in an area popular with young people, don't be afraid to be daring and add features. (Tip: have a look at the Ikea website for ideas on what 'most people' like, it works for them...)
Plain is better than patterned when it comes to walls and carpets! It is more modern and makes rooms look bigger.
Features - Character is good. We like Victorian terraces and retro quirks. Make the most of original features like fireplaces, unusal shapes in windows, interesting one-offs and things you have really worked hard on and are proud of. It makes the house stand out as being "the one with the nice wood floors" or whatever. If you have any cool retro decor or furnishings, show them off.
Outside space - This is a dealbreaker for us. Make it look nice, bring your awning down in good weather, put a few chairs out and buy a couple of colourful plants. Point out the sunny spots. Make sure the fences are in good nick - the viewer may have pets or children. Consider putting a lawn in if you have a paved area out the back. It's cheap and it can make your garden look more appealing.
Space - Try to pack away excessive ornaments, it can really change the feel your house if a room seems cluttered. Show people the space they will have available. Also, if you have a big suite, remove an armchair and show more of the carpet. Consider updating the fireplace, it's a big feature in the front room, as some fireplaces are very ornate or oversized which makes the room look smaller. The less fuss and frill, the more you will expose the floorspace and enable buyers to imagine the room with a different layout. One exception is with things that make the house look modern or make the owner seem to have a nice lifestyle, like a laptop, electric guitar or a digital radio on prominent display! I know it sounds silly, but these are the things WE will be bringing into your house.
Tidyness - I have not been put off by houses that look 'lived in' but I am put off by things like piles of damp clothes in the bathroom and not being able to walk through a room or see the floor/walls because of furniture of junk being piled up everywhere. It makes it seem like you are not that bothered about selling. Make sure beds are neat and duvet covers are clean.
Minor jobs - One house we viewed had a hole in a stair which my heel went through and I nearly fell over on the way down. Another had loose carpet on the stairs which I tripped on. Another house had a broken side panel on the bath. These are the main things I remember about the houses. Although they are small faults, and YOU know about them, they take buyers by surprise.
Security - How does the house look in terms of safety and security? It makes people think. We were very put off by one empty property that had a foot-shaped dent in the front door and one in the bedroom door. Another one had broken glass all over the road outside. Sweep it up. Aso, look at your house from the opposite pavement - most people do this when they turn up. If you can, install a basic burglar alarm and smoke alarms, it makes people assume you care about the house.
Attitude - Be friendly not overbearing. Don't appear too desperate. Allow the buyers a bit of space to move around without you watching over their shoulder, and listen to their comments before you reply
I must re-iterate that looking around houses is really great, we have met some lovely people who have been very kind and welcoming!
Smell - funnily enough, the smell is the thing that first hits you and the thing you will remember afterwards. We viewed a house on Sunday which was owned by smokers and had brown and beige decor. Now, when I picture it, I just think of the stale tobacco smell.
Decor - We may be unusual, but we don't like the magnolia look. We viewed another place on Saturday that was impeccably done up by a property developer, and looked like a cardboard box full of cheap thin brown carpets. The kitchen was huge and really appealed to us, but the rest of the house was a whole lot of beigeness. We would actually have had to re-carpet the whole house as the flooring was so cheap.
Laminate floor is a definite no-no. It's used in rental properties, so most people our age (late 20s) have bad impressions of it - it's cheap and nasty and makes houses look studenty. It also gets dirty very quickly and shows footprints.
It's OK to be colourful and bold! We saw a house with a chimney breast covered in modern flock wallpaper and we loved it. Another with a bright red Ikea kitchen caught our eye. If you are in an area popular with young people, don't be afraid to be daring and add features. (Tip: have a look at the Ikea website for ideas on what 'most people' like, it works for them...)
Plain is better than patterned when it comes to walls and carpets! It is more modern and makes rooms look bigger.
Features - Character is good. We like Victorian terraces and retro quirks. Make the most of original features like fireplaces, unusal shapes in windows, interesting one-offs and things you have really worked hard on and are proud of. It makes the house stand out as being "the one with the nice wood floors" or whatever. If you have any cool retro decor or furnishings, show them off.
Outside space - This is a dealbreaker for us. Make it look nice, bring your awning down in good weather, put a few chairs out and buy a couple of colourful plants. Point out the sunny spots. Make sure the fences are in good nick - the viewer may have pets or children. Consider putting a lawn in if you have a paved area out the back. It's cheap and it can make your garden look more appealing.
Space - Try to pack away excessive ornaments, it can really change the feel your house if a room seems cluttered. Show people the space they will have available. Also, if you have a big suite, remove an armchair and show more of the carpet. Consider updating the fireplace, it's a big feature in the front room, as some fireplaces are very ornate or oversized which makes the room look smaller. The less fuss and frill, the more you will expose the floorspace and enable buyers to imagine the room with a different layout. One exception is with things that make the house look modern or make the owner seem to have a nice lifestyle, like a laptop, electric guitar or a digital radio on prominent display! I know it sounds silly, but these are the things WE will be bringing into your house.
Tidyness - I have not been put off by houses that look 'lived in' but I am put off by things like piles of damp clothes in the bathroom and not being able to walk through a room or see the floor/walls because of furniture of junk being piled up everywhere. It makes it seem like you are not that bothered about selling. Make sure beds are neat and duvet covers are clean.
Minor jobs - One house we viewed had a hole in a stair which my heel went through and I nearly fell over on the way down. Another had loose carpet on the stairs which I tripped on. Another house had a broken side panel on the bath. These are the main things I remember about the houses. Although they are small faults, and YOU know about them, they take buyers by surprise.
Security - How does the house look in terms of safety and security? It makes people think. We were very put off by one empty property that had a foot-shaped dent in the front door and one in the bedroom door. Another one had broken glass all over the road outside. Sweep it up. Aso, look at your house from the opposite pavement - most people do this when they turn up. If you can, install a basic burglar alarm and smoke alarms, it makes people assume you care about the house.
Attitude - Be friendly not overbearing. Don't appear too desperate. Allow the buyers a bit of space to move around without you watching over their shoulder, and listen to their comments before you reply
I must re-iterate that looking around houses is really great, we have met some lovely people who have been very kind and welcoming!
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Comments
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We've just completed after looking at around 50 houses.
I have got to agree about the magnolia. I can't remember anything about all the magnolia houses with cream/brown carpets other than "Oh, another beige house"
I also see laminate flooring and think "I'll have to change that within a month of getting the keys"
Colour works.
Clean and fresh, uncluttered makes a good impression.
Don't spend the whole viewing talking to the potential buyers. Be pleasent, answer their questions, then stop talking. We were put off one house because the owner said "We used to have a 100 yard long garden with an orchard at the bottom. My kids loved it, but we sold it to a developer to build those houses" All we could think about was how nice the house could have been.
Get the small jobs done.
We knew if we were going to offer on a house as soon as we were inside, so make the entrance hall special. Clear all the coats out of the way, move the shoe rack. Make sure the front garden is not overgrown.0 -
Dogs! Please put the dogs outside!Scar tissue that I wish you saw, sarcastic mister know it all, close your eyes and I'll kiss you cause with the birds I'll share this lonely view.0
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Don't spend the whole viewing talking to the potential buyers. Be pleasent, answer their questions, then stop talking. We were put off one house because the owner said "We used to have a 100 yard long garden with an orchard at the bottom. My kids loved it, but we sold it to a developer to build those houses" All we could think about was how nice the house could have been.
This is so true. The owners of one house just kept going on and on about how brilliant it was without letting us get a word in edgeways. We all felt obliged just to say "Yeah, yeah, that's true" even though we were totally unconvinced.0 -
I have to say as i was reading this I was nodding my head agreeing with you.
We have been in our house for 11 months, And one of the things that put me off was if they were dirty, All I could think of was what is the bits that you can not see like!!!!!0 -
Something I missed - if you have outside space, sort out any overflowing drains and rubbish, especially broken appliances and things, it's supposed to be a place to enjoy the sun! Also, try not to have washing hanging out as it will split the space and not allow anyone to appreciate the true size.0
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I would guess most of the posters are women. I have bought a few houses and then turned them into my home. I could not care less what the decoration is like as it will all come down in the first year. I just dont get this thing about feeling right etc. I find it very easy to see what it will be like. Oh and my wife does not agree with me.0
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If the decor is all magnolia, it makes it easier to paint it the colour you want. Not all of us want bright red/green/orange walls, and a pale colour makes it easier to paint over. "modern flocked wallpaper" will not be so modern in 12 months time, and takes a hell of a lot more effort to get rid of than magnolia paint does!
Dirt is my major issue - yes you can clean it, but that ingrained dirt never comes out of things like window frames and skirting board.0 -
If the decor is all magnolia, it makes it easier to paint it the colour you want. Not all of us want bright red/green/orange walls, and a pale colour makes it easier to paint over. "modern flocked wallpaper" will not be so modern in 12 months time, and takes a hell of a lot more effort to get rid of than magnolia paint does!
I totally agree! I would definately not be put off by magnolia (hey! they've done the undercoat for me!) and I WOULD be put off by modern wallpaper. I don't like modern wallpaper and I think in 5 years time, it'll look dated.
I actually like laminate too. But I have a toddler and practicallity comes before aesthetics. We looked at a house today, with old manky carpets. And my first thought was 'I would put laminate there'.0 -
listerofsmeg wrote: »I totally agree! I would definately not be put off by magnolia (hey! they've done the undercoat for me!) and I WOULD be put off by modern wallpaper. I don't like modern wallpaper and I think in 5 years time, it'll look dated.
I actually like laminate too. But I have a toddler and practicallity comes before aesthetics. We looked at a house today, with old manky carpets. And my first thought was 'I would put laminate there'.
Yep, cheap laminate is vile, but good laminate can look nice and be very hard wearing. I don't have a toddler, but I do have an equally messy, clumsy boyfriend who has a habit of spilling his tea....
We have a quite nice carpet at the moment though, so won't be changing it till any little ones come along! I am also a bit of a hooveraholic, so I think I would miss it if I didn't have any carpet! Although I am sure one of my other over-cleaning tendencies would replace the hoovering...0 -
listerofsmeg wrote: »I totally agree! I would definately not be put off by magnolia (hey! they've done the undercoat for me!) and I WOULD be put off by modern wallpaper. I don't like modern wallpaper and I think in 5 years time, it'll look dated.
I actually like laminate too. But I have a toddler and practicallity comes before aesthetics. We looked at a house today, with old manky carpets. And my first thought was 'I would put laminate there'.
To solve this problem, we bought 3 large pain canvasses for about £8 each, and a roll of "modern" wallpaper. We then covered the canvasses with the wallpaper and have hung a row of three along the wall.
Everyone asks where I got my "art"! People thought that they were padded panels. So when the wallpaper goes out of fashion, or we change our colour scheme, we can just take the pictures down.0
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