First viewing on Monday!

smileytiger

Hi

We have the first viewing of our house on Monday - anyone have any good tips. I'm prone to twittering if i get nervous and don't want to ramble on, but also don't want to miss telling them anything vital.
I've never sold a house in my life & when i bought this place i just walked in fell in love with the view & bought it. One viewing - no hassle involved. These days it all sounds so much more complicated or am i just overthinking everything (that's what OH thinks).

The one thing that i will certainly need is 1 month between exchange & completion as i cannot resign my current job until i know we've exchanged as i couldn't afford to be out of work if we were still here if the sale fell through.
We are not staying locally once we've sold & OH doesn't work for medical reasons.
Do i need to explain this - or wait until someone puts an offer in - we are happy to move into rented if needs be so house will be vacant on completion.

Advice welcome & thanks

googler

smileytiger wrote: »

We have the first viewing of our house on Monday - anyone have any good tips. I'm prone to twittering if i get nervous and don't want to ramble on, but also don't want to miss telling them anything vital.

Make yourself a checklist. Rehearse what you're going to tell them for each room, and in which order you're going to show them the rooms

I've never sold a house in my life & when i bought this place i just walked in fell in love with the view & bought it. One viewing - no hassle involved. These days it all sounds so much more complicated or am i just overthinking everything (that's what OH thinks).

Why aren't your agents doing the viewings? Wouldn't you be better off having someone who's done this before to do this?

If you can't get the agent to do them.

Make sure the place is spotlessly clean.

Remove pets and children.

For a first viewing, try and ensure that the buying adults don't bring the whole family. Children don't make decisions about house-buying, so why take them viewing?

Start and finish with your best room.

Don't walk into a room in front of the viewers, let them in and try to stay near the door so you don't crowd them.

Don't introduce a room with "This is the lounge" when it's perfectly obvious which room it is. Introduce each room with something about the room - "We've had the lounge redecorated in the last few weeks...."

If viewers wander off into splinter groups, call them back and keep them together so you don't have to repeat yourself.

If you're going to leave them to wander the house alone, ensure small valuables are tucked away.

Will you have their name and phone number, or will your agent have these, so that you can follow up and get feedback on the viewing, and for extra security?

IHateDida

smileytiger wrote: »

Hi
I've never sold a house in my life & when i bought this place i just walked in fell in love with the view & bought it.

Definitely tell them this - if it worked for you - chances are that its one of the houses main selling points!

As a potential buyer I would prefer just to be casually taken around - shown the downstairs - no one announcing the obvious though - I think most people can work out what the kitchen is. Maybe pointing things out that I wouldn't have noticed that would help sell your house - "our new boiler which we installed last year" for example. I like a brief guide on a 1st viewing - no over-kill or hard sell - and then being allowed just to look around whilst the owners are downstairs/outside - so you don't feel pressured to follow someone around constantly and can look in your own time.

As a seller last year - I made sure that just myself was in doing the viewings - and sent OH out. I viewed a house last year where there were 4 members of the same family around - including 2 screaming kids and all I wanted to do was get the hell out of there!

After a brief guide around the house - ask the buyers if they would like to look around on their own. I have found that this is the best approach - most will take you up on this.

Don't mention anything about delay between exchange and completion until offer has been made and a survey been carried out. Get an EA to do first viewing and see what they do. As a buyer, I actually prefer 1st viewings with an EA as I can look around properly without the fear of looking in someones untidy cupboard with them looking on embarrassingly!

Good luck!

KateLiana27

Be warm, friendly, relaxed and most importantly - not pushy.

By all means mention important things that might not be visible/obvious, but don't go for the hard sell. Show enthusiasm for the house, not for the sale. Let them ask the questions. I would advise against wittering on about your own requirements regarding exchange/completion/etc unless they ask (but certainly advise them if they make an offer later on).

This is a weird one, but don't leave valuables lying around. I was astonished at what people left on their bedside tables before casually inviting us to "take as long as you need" alone upstairs. This will also help you feel more relaxed about letting people have a wander around on their own after the "tour", which is helpful.

But basically, just be nice and approachable.

cattie

Ooh, good luck! I've recently found a buyer for my house. I did my own viewings and pointed out all the positives and even tried to make what I felt they might see as a negative into a positive; ie, small bathroom-very easy to keep clean and keep warm, but do have benefit of a seperate wc.

Once I'd shown viewers around I would then ask if they would like to look around alone, some did, some didn't. The other thing I asked all my viewers to do is to please take time to phone the ea and give them feedback, adding that all feedback, good and bad was welcomed.

If viewers ask you then yes, as long as it's not for a negative reason that could affect a sale, do mention why you are moving and that you sadly need to move out of area.

I hope someone comes along soon who loves your house enough to make an offer. Mine sold in just over 4 weeks, just a couple of days after I'd decided to drop the price to encourage offers as I do need to downsize and didn't want to be stuck here for months and months in a house and big garden that is getting too much for me to cope with.

smileytiger

Thanks for the comments.

We love our house and we need to move mostly because OH struggles with stairs and also it's really tight financially as he cannot work.
I think i've got most things covered - i'm sure once the first one is over - i'll feel more confident.

Thakns again for the replies

whitesatin

I agree with letting the agent show people round. We didn't, at first, as I thought I was the best person but, as it turned out, the agent showed people round in my absence and got the sale for us.

The usual stuff re kerb appeal, de-clutter, flowers in vases, sparkling windows, plumped up cushions and bedding - buy new if necessary, you can take them with you.

good luck.

smileytiger

Thanks for the reply

House has been decorated & cleaned within an inch of its life:D
Have done everything possible within our budget to make it look fab - I've even jet washed the astroturf !!

Even tho i have very efficient EA - its kinda seen as a snub round here not to greet buyers personally - small town thing as everyone knows everyone else - in fact i have a sneaky suspicion Monday viewers are relatives of my ex hubby ( thankfully still get on well with him!)

Thanks again

Polly05

Yeah, cant you get the estate agent to do it? Then they cant tell people stuff they dont know..
plus it really puts me off if the owners are there...

googler

smileytiger wrote: »

Even tho i have very efficient EA - its kinda seen as a snub round here not to greet buyers personally - small town thing as everyone knows everyone else

What if your viewers are from out of town?

IHateDida

smileytiger - how did your viewing go?:)