Question about accompanied viewings

celyn90

alezzandro wrote: »

I don't know if I would recommend this. I once viewed a house this way and it was quite weird. First, it was difficult to discuss about problems and issues with a person who was clearly in love with their own house (no, this brand new and colourful wall paper is not a plus, because I will spend money to rip it off!).
Second, it was not clear whether it was even worth doing it (if we liked the house we would have talked to the EA, I guess). Third, during the viewing it seemed like we were invading their privacy.

I am sure we would have overcome all these obstacles if we had liked the house, but it would have been like: "I'll put an offer DESPITE the owner, rather than THANKS TO them".

FYI, the EA was not convinced this was a good selling strategy either.

I agree, I have a list of things I want to know - but I am happy to wait for the EA to get back to me with answers from the vendor should I want to proceed; it's not a pop quiz and the viewing for me is a chance to translate the floor plan into reality.

If they want to tell me extra things, then that's fine - but I would feel uncomfortable with what would feel like hard sell to be honest when I'm looking round. I prefer being shown round by an agent as I don't feel so much like I am intruding or like I am being judged.

I don't give two hoots about the decor - it's just that - cosmetic - and I wouldn't pay any more for a nicely decorated house. I feel bad listening to people telling me about how much the kitchen units cost when I would probably strip them out anyway. cel x

alezzandro

celyn90 wrote: »

I agree, I have a list of things I want to know - but I am happy to wait for the EA to get back to me with answers from the vendor should I want to proceed;

exactly. Last time I bought mine the first viewing was used to get the feeling of the floorplan and all major features/defects of the house.

Then I would either discard the house or ask the EA further questions including: "is there anything the owner would like to point out to us, for example, renovation works recently undertaken, etc?"

in one case, they had a rewiring done two years earlier, sanded all wooden floors and repointed/painted the external walls: the asking price started making much more sense at that point! (we did not go for the house, but for other reasons).

dehydrato

I showed them round as I would have a viewer and also expected them to have done a bit of research before they arrived, ie to know the area was listed as an area of outstanding beauty, the school name, what was in the village etc. Basic stuff - if you are selling something you know your product. I gave them the whole low down and observed how much they had taken in, eg oil heating, when the kitchen was done, where the lane led to etc etc.

muskoka

I personally think that if you cant do the viewings yourself, then you could leave a sheet/leaflet maybe in the kitchen for any viewers to take away with them. if you do this, use different pictures to the Ea pictures, school info, room sizes, local amenities, etc, etc. Just make sure you stick to truths, so nobody can come back & sue you for misleading information

googler

dehydrato wrote: »

I showed them round as I would have a viewer and also expected them to have done a bit of research before they arrived, ie to know the area was listed as an area of outstanding beauty, the school name, what was in the village etc. Basic stuff - if you are selling something you know your product. I gave them the whole low down and observed how much they had taken in, eg oil heating, when the kitchen was done, where the lane led to etc etc.

I don't think a simple memory test is a good measure of how effective they might be at showing your house...... this comes over like those rounds in The Krypton Factor where contestants had to recall what happened in a two minute video clip - what happened before this, who said what to whom, etc......

Besides which, are you sure the ones you spoke to at the valuations would be the same ones who'd be doing your viewings...?

womble12345

A sheet of A4 with bullet points left in the lounge on the coffee table is a good idea, it ensures the buyer finds out the facts. There is a fine line between looking desperate and looking like a motivated seller, I would say it makes you look more like the latter.

Greymarl

In the end this was a moot point...

Before I'd gone in to the agency to return the signed agreement and show i.d. etc, having only just approved the brochure, the agents had asked my permission to show some potential buyers round yesterday. The house hasn't been advertised anywhere yet.

I have agreed a figure of only slightly under the asking price today, so I'm thrilled! No chain, either. :j

I am pleased we used these agents and they did their job of contacting people they thought could be interested. Worth the money and all so quick. Perhaps these buyers would have seen the house on the internet, perhaps not, I know they'd looked at others in the area, but I feel the agents earned their money by being proactive and it's nice to have a good feeling about an estate agent.

hazyjo

Well done That's the way to do it...!

Jx