How to Appear to Prospective Buyers?

chambta

Had our first people round today and after 4 hours of cleaning and tidying I think it went pretty well (pleased with speed as only appeared on Rightmove Friday night).

Got me thinking as I was showing them round about how I should come across to them and the things to say.

Obviously don't want to sound desperate to sell at any price as we're not but equally want to promote the benefits of the property.

It seems a fine line to tread.

Any tips?

googler

It's not your home any more. You're leaving it. It's a product, to be sold in competition with all the other comparable product out there.

Tell the viewers what your house has that the others for sale in your street, neighbourhood or town don't have. Emphasise the good, don't mention the bad.

If you get a whiff of any aspect that seems to suit them, jump in and emphasise that it suits them.

Don't mention anything that the others have that you don't have.

Since you're doing the viewing, and not your agent, it'll be down to you to get their details (name/phone) for later follow-up, unless they've made an appt via your agent in advance.

westlondonbuyer

All the viewings we've been on, we've been accompanied by agents. Vendor-conducted viewings don't seem to happen here. If the vendors are at home, I've noticed they're either surly or so nervous they chatter nineteen to the dozen and appear either pushy or nutty. Vendors who say, "Do come back to me if you have questions, otherwise I'll leave you to look round in peace," are the easiest to deal with and the agents seem to appreciate this too.

What is helpful though, is for a vendor to be upfront about what their position is. If a vendor says, "We've found a house we love and definitely want to sell" or even "I'm not interested in any offer under xxx", it's great to hear it from the horse's mouth as I find it difficult to trust the estate agents.

I love dogs but I find pets in a house distracting at best and - if you can smell them - nauseating at worst.

Also, *really* hate icky bathrooms and kitchens. Whenever I see one, I worry I'm going to have to rip it out and start again. I once saw a house where I thought the bathroom would need replacing; when I went back for a second viewing, someone had scrubbed it top to bottom, tidied it, and hung a new shower curtain, and it honestly looked brand new.

House viewings are so quick that first impressions are really important.

chambta

Absolutely agree that it's a product I need to put in the best light to those viewing.

I'm confident in what this place offers and won't be surprised if they come with an offer; they let I'm they were keen to get out of rented house ASAP and that a previous property (in a worse part of town) fell through.

I tried not to say too much for fear of appearing pushy but I guess one viewing after one day on the market is pretty good whatever happens.

I'll also be I'm the phone to the EA in the morning to make sure they call them for feedback straight away.

pickledpink

Many people can be very impressionable, and if the sellers come across as educated/rich/particular/toffs etc etc the buyers will be impressed by that. People will assume the property must have certain virtues if people like that live there.

It sounds ridiculous, but it's true. Many people want to buy into a lifestyle, and if the sellers seem POSH or trendy it will impress them. Some people have classical music softly playing in the background whilst viewers wander around, and display all their best Port, wines and fill their bathroom with Dior cosmetics to give the impression of a certain lifestyle. A Waitrose or Harrods carrier bag tossed in the corner is a sure winner to impressionable types.

All the usual tips help, too: fresh coffee in an expensive cafetiere, bowls of fruit overflowing with polished fruit and tumbling grapes, fresh bouquets of flowers dotted around, French cuisine cookbooks stacked in the kitchen, expensive-looking gadgets next to the cooker (zest peelers, baby blow-lamps for creme brulees, Le Creuset grillpan on the stove...oh, and don't forget the cappucino frother - most important).

This may seem all frivalous, but people just love it! Oh, lots of 'heavy reading' books - smacks of intelligence. A piano is good, too, but if you really want to go to town a harp is really the bees knees.

As for how to come across when asked questions - less is more. Appear slightly nonchalent (but friendly) and don't point out any bad points telling them the leak you had repaired last week seems to be holding together. You get the picture.:silenced:

There's nothing worse than a seller who seems over-anxious to sell. It smacks of desperation, and puts people off. Imagine going on a blind date and they start talking weddings over the entree? You run!:eek:

On a serious note (and all of the above has an elemant of truth, actually) the biggest pointer as to whether the buyer is interested is how long they spent in your home. If they were in and out in a jiffy - they're not interested. No siree! If on the way out you ask them if they would like to see one of the rooms again before they go - and they politely decline - they're not interested. If they don't ask questions; if they avoid your gaze; if they make noises like 'Oh this is nice' in a flat tone; and if they get in their car and speed off without a last linger - they ain't interested.

I've bought and sold - and I know the signs. I've sometimes (under duress or out of politeness) entered a property I've immediately known I wouldn't want, and have been in and out in the quickest possible speed (house-hunting is a timely business).

Equally, when selling I've known whether or not a viewer would be interested - and if I've detected it hasn't been for them I've told them to take a look around by themselves, and then when they've finished I've led them to the door and said 'Bye. Thank you'.

There's no need for pretences or falseness - and time is precious. Your house may be absolutely beautiful - but it may not be suitable for everyone. So you need to have a thick skin. Some people can take offence if a person doesn't like their home!:mad: and take it very personally.

But you will sell it - you just have to wait for the right person to come along. And they always do!;)

chambta

Great post TP.

I'm going to wear a morning suit for the next viewing and tell them all about the best private schools locally!

westlondonbuyer

pickledpink wrote: »

Many people want to buy into a lifestyle, and if the sellers seem POSH or trendy it will impress them. Some people have classical music softly playing in the background whilst viewers wander around, and display all their best Port, wines and fill their bathroom with Dior cosmetics to give the impression of a certain lifestyle. A Waitrose or Harrods carrier bag tossed in the corner is a sure winner to impressionable types.

All the usual tips help, too: fresh coffee in an expensive cafetiere, bowls of fruit overflowing with polished fruit and tumbling grapes, fresh bouquets of flowers dotted around, French cuisine cookbooks stacked in the kitchen, expensive-looking gadgets next to the cooker (zest peelers, baby blow-lamps for creme brulees, Le Creuset grillpan on the stove...oh, and don't forget the cappucino frother - most important).

Some of you will laugh at this, but I paid a house doctor £600 to declutter my flat and dress it for sale and the above was almost exactly what she did.

She also told me to buy enormous vases and fill them with fake flowers and branch arrangements, because people would notice them and not the tatty floors. It did the trick so I've never begrudged her one penny.:D

Contessa

westlondonbuyer wrote: »

Some of you will laugh at this, but I paid a house doctor £600 to declutter my flat and dress it for sale and the above was almost exactly what she did.

She also told me to buy enormous vases and fill them with fake flowers and branch arrangements, because people would notice them and not the tatty floors. It did the trick so I've never begrudged her one penny.:D

Sounds like your house doctor/declutter expert tips would make an interesting new thread! I'm certainly keen to learn more-how about it?

chambta

I guess what you're saying is that alot of it is psychological and that lasting impressions can be made on the subconscious perhaps?

And here was me telling the first time buyers how great it is being five minutes walk from the nearest Wetherspoons!

westlondonbuyer

Not really much to add to Tickled Pink's post, Contessa. I was one of those mad clutterbugs you see on 'Life Laundry' with piles of books and magazines and ornaments everywhere. My folks are divorced and this flat was the first time I'd lived anywhere with all my stuff in one place. And I had a lot of stuff, and had long outgrown the flat.

A friend recommended the house doctor to me and she did an amazing job. She made me throw out loads of stuff, give loads to charity, and select stuff to sell on Ebay (the money from this helped me recoup her fee). We also put lots of my stuff into storage at Safestore to make the place feel bigger. She also identified some odd jobs I needed to do round the place and told me to buy the aforementioned vases and fake flowers, bottled water and champagne for the kitchen (!), and new cushions and a blanket for my old sofa.

We worked together and it cost £200 per day for 3 days' work on a 2-bed flat, plus the costs of paying the handyman and buying the odds and sods, which obviously I took with me when I sold.

olly300

chambta wrote: »

And here was me telling the first time buyers how great it is being five minutes walk from the nearest Wetherspoons!

There is nothing wrong with that depending on who your buyer is.

I deal with a lot of sales people as part of my job so when I was flat hunting I would ask a question I already knew the answer to as I knew the area I was looking in. The EA would usually not tell the truth, say they didn't know or answer another question. The home owner, if they were present, was honest.