Advice on Showing Potential Buyers Around

shallowpockets

Ok, here it is.
Signing up with Agent this week.
Planning to get part of viewing done by them (they probably only do limited viewings in the daytime) and the rest by us.
Can you guys advice on how to avoid the usual comments like "here's the sitting room etc" does one just open doors and not comment on the obvious?
Kitchen - do I point out the integrated appliances or let them work them out? Point out British Gas cover etc.
Bathroom - do I say mixer shower etc
Plus what does one do with the 2.2 kids (hide them in the broom cupboard - if I had one?)

Jorgan_2

Why can't the agent do all the viewings. I am an agent I am amazed how ofeten I read on here about people doing their own viewings, we accompany all viewings.

Don't try & state the obvious, don't point out power points, stay out of the room when the people are in there. Couple of reasons for this, you will make the room feel smaller with too many people in it & secondly security, if you are on the landing/hallway you have a means of escape should anything untoward happen. Likewise, follow the people upstairs for the same reason, you will be able to direct them the right rooms.

Point out the integrated appliances, the buyer may not realise they are there & leave the property thinking there is no room for appliances in the kitchen. If boiler & the like are serviced annually then point this out.

Sell the benefits of your home, not the features.

Can you put the kids in front of telly? If the viewer has kids of a similar age, they can watch Power Rangers, cbeebies etc together, may give the viewer the chance to have a proper look.

Final tip, start the viewing with the upstairs, them move downstairs. People usually start by showing the downstairs, loose control of the viewing as the viewer sees the garden & heads of outside. Viewer then comes back trailing mud & bullets thru the house to go upstairs. Also you won't end up in the smallest room in the property, the bathroom. By viewing downstairs last the lasting memory of the property should be the living room, usually the biggest room in a property.

lynzpower

do you get a reduction on your EA fees for the fact that they arnt doing many viewings? Id be asking for this, for definate.

Cristy

Thank you Jorgan, I wish I'd seen this 4 months ago when we were selling! I made quite a few of the mistakes you pointed out but thankfully we sold anyway (to a buyer who came on an agent-led viewing! )

Jorgan_2

Cristy wrote:

Thank you Jorgan, I wish I'd seen this 4 months ago when we were selling! I made quite a few of the mistakes you pointed out but thankfully we sold anyway (to a buyer who came on an agent-led viewing! )

Careful Cristy, sounds like you are paying compliments to Estate Agents.

vickyn_2

I've never used agent viewings (no offence) it just isn't the norm around here I guess!! I tend to show people around, my little boy would often follow me around but people just thought that was amusing! and then tell them to look round again on their own. You usually knew if they were interested because they would and would take their time etc

Leave garden till last if possible and make your home feel homely, smell nice and put all lights on in all rooms (even if its bright outside). Declutter too, even if it means getting rid of some furniture temporarily into storage.

Point out all features and approximate age of them, also point out the things you would be leaving e.g. curtains etc - it can help.

Never pressure them into making any decisions, and always end on a positive note.

Hope that helps and good luck

bylromarha

Having just sold my house, I think it was the little touches I mentioned when I accompanied the future buyers round the house which added things which the EA couldn't have known about.

eg...washing up is easier to do in the summer because all the roses and lillies are in full bloom out of the window above the sink and it looks really beautiful, especially when the birds all come too; my son loves watching the horses go past the window about once a week.

The EA can tell your buyers the facts about your house and sell those facts well (depending on how good they are!) , but I think it's doozergirl who says that you're trying to sell your lifestyle that people are buying into as well as the house. Adding details which make the house special for you make all the difference...they certainly did to me as a buyer when I was viewing properties.

Cristy

Jorgan wrote:

Careful Cristy, sounds like you are paying compliments to Estate Agents.

Ah, but I am. I was very happy with my agents and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to others*. Our sales progression lady kept our chain together almost single handedly and never minded lending a sympathetic ear to my exasperated rants...

There's good and bad in every profession!

* ETA: Wentworth in Woodley in case anyone is wondering...

Jorgan_2

Cristy wrote:

Ah, but I am. I was very happy with my agents and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to others*. Our sales progression lady kept our chain together almost single handedly and never minded lending a sympathetic ear to my exasperated rants...

There's good and bad in every profession!

* ETA: Wentworth in Woodley in case anyone is wondering...

Pleased to hear it. I was trained by & worked for, Adrian, who set up Wentworths in Bracknell, not sure what his involvement was in the Woodley office.

shallowpockets

Thanks for all your suggestions and I will definetly take the one up about staying out of the room!

One more question I'd like to ask - would anyone point out the scope for extending or is that seen as a negative.

And what does one say when asked about the fact that there's only one toilet. It's obvious that there's only one but it's hard to turn this negative into a positive do I at this point say that had we stayed we were planning to extend out?

Debt_Free_Chick

shallowpockets wrote:

One more question I'd like to ask - would anyone point out the scope for extending or is that seen as a negative.

Personally I wouldn't as it should be obvious. But also, it's subject to Planning Permission so unless you've spoken to the planners, you can't be sure what is and is not possible.

And what does one say when asked about the fact that there's only one toilet. It's obvious that there's only one but it's hard to turn this negative into a positive do I at this point say that had we stayed we were planning to extend out?

I would say "Well you can only pee in one, at a time" :rotfl:

Seriously though ... don't mention it, unless they ask/comment. If they ask, you can say something like "Well, we did wonder whether we could build an extension <here>, but we've never got around to talking to the planning department about it." It might be useful if you have the phone number for the planning department so you could offer it to them

In the overall scheme of things, a second loo is probably not a deal breaker - at least, not for the majority of potential buyers. You might want to talk to your EA too, so they know what you're going to be saying. They will possibly be able to give potential buyers an idea of whether or not planning permission is an option, for an extension.

I assume that there are no internal changes that would accommodate a second loo? If so, then planning permission is almost certainly not required - just building control approval.

HTH