Tips on showing buyers around house

LandyAndy

googler wrote: »

Get your EA to do the viewings? Some would say it's what you're paying them for ...

LandyAndy wrote: »

Oh my experience was that they were useless. I mean really awful.

Like I say it was my experience. I was in when the EA turned up to do the first few viewings. He was late twice even though his office was five minutes drive away. Another time he complained he had a hangover and certainly looked as though he did.

After that I decided I couldn't do worse.

I actually enjoyed doing the viewings. And it certainly let the viewers get their questions answered quickly and allowed me to gauge their interest.

TeamLowe

only ever done viewings as a buyer but something that helped to sell my house to me was that the vendor as she was showing us round pointed out the work that had been done since she moved in, not so much decoration but maintenance stuff like new fuse box, new plastering etc
It may have actually been 'we needed to replaster as the whole wall fell off because of damp and my husband electrocuted himself' but mentally i was thinking 'that's something we don't need to do' so made it seem like an easy house to move into as we definitely wasn't looking for a project lol

Tenyearstogo

Point out things you've done that the potential buyer won't need to do as Teamlowe says.

I said things like " the sky tv aerial comes in here. When I had the house re-wired I had 4 sockets put in there to accommodate the TV, DVD, Sky box etc". Pointing out the obvious but letting them know what's been done.

In the kitchen, point out plumbing for Washing machines, dishwasher etc. I'm too busy looking at the state of walls, windows etc to remember things like that but they're things I want to know.

ReadingTim

LandyAndy wrote: »

I actually enjoyed doing the viewings. And it certainly let the viewers get their questions answered quickly and allowed me to gauge their interest.

I'd add that it probably allowed you to get them measure of them too, and see if they're the type of person you felt you could do business with...

leanneq

I prefer the homeowner to do the viewings. I can find out exactly about the area, neighbours, why they're moving etc. when I sold my last house, I loved that house so found it easy to sell it. I didn't need to make up lies to sell it.
Also, I've mostly viewed houses in the evening or weekends. Viewings are rarely available during the day. I work shifts.

Mrs_Z

Only ever had viewings with the homeowner as a byer. I do actually prefer to meet the vendors, as they know the property better.The worst things for me are:a) untidy (and dirty) house - eek!b) uncommunicative vendor who makes no effort whatsoever to highlight their properties best bitsc) limp handshake on arrival

Hoof_Hearted

I did my own viewings as I used an online agent. I did a quick tour with minimal information and then said they were free to go around on their own and take as long as they wanted. I asked whether they had any questions at the end and I gave them a little information sheet on schools, time to station, doctor, etc. (some people were out of area and appreciated this) as well as council tax band, utility bills etc.

Nobody knows the house like the owner and it is clear to me that some EAs don't do their homework on the house. They may know the area well but often cannot answer the simplest questions about the property.

witchy1066

I hated it when the homeowners did the first viewing, I didn't feel comfortable at all , in one house I asked to look in an under stair cupboard, the house owner glared at me as if I had just held a gun to her head, after that I always asked for the EA to show us round

we viewed in total 35 property's most of them with the EA's ,
they just left us to it ,

I would not trust a complete stranger who is selling their house for the best price possible, to tell me the roof leaks and we have painted over all the damp patches no more than I would expect them to say we are moving because the area has gone down hill, and the next door neighbours play loud music and are drunk fighting in the street every weekend ,

nothing personal to OP or anyone else selling (I will be selling mine soon ) but please stop treating buyers as if they are all idiots ,
let the EA do their job , you as the seller are paying them ,
let the surveyors do theirs and let the buyer suss the area out for themselves,
(something they have most likely already done even before booking a viewing)

Tenyearstogo

witchy1066 wrote: »

I hated it when the homeowners did the first viewing, I didn't feel comfortable at all , in one house I asked to look in an under stair cupboard, the house owner glared at me as if I had just held a gun to her head, after that I always asked for the EA to show us round

we viewed in total 35 property's most of them with the EA's ,
they just left us to it ,

I would not trust a complete stranger who is selling their house for the best price possible, to tell me the roof leaks and we have painted over all the damp patches no more than I would expect them to say we are moving because the area has gone down hill, and the next door neighbours play loud music and are drunk fighting in the street every weekend ,

nothing personal to OP or anyone else selling (I will be selling mine soon ) but please stop treating buyers as if they are all idiots ,
let the EA do their job , you as the seller are paying them ,
let the surveyors do theirs and let the buyer suss the area out for themselves,
(something they have most likely already done even before booking a viewing)

An EA won't tell you that either.

Ask an EA when the house was re wired/damproofed/had new central heating/council tax band, chances are they won't know.

pinkteapot

We viewed about five houses, only one of which was with the EA. That was the worst viewing by a country mile. They new NOTHING about the house. Didn't even know the vendor's position (if they'd found something etc). Bonkers.

EA can't tell you when certain jobs were done, how old the boiler is, etc.