Tips on showing your house?

rosie383

I honestly wouldn't bother doing any kind of brochure for people. It is unnecessary expense. The EA will be giving them a shiny one that you are already paying for. If people are genuinely interested they will ask relevant questions about sun in the garden, schools etc.

Declutter. We rented a storage locker for 8 weeks and it was well worth it.

Having viewed many, many, many houses over the last 9 months, don't bother with fresh baking bread and fresh coffee. I have been to a few which did that, and honestly the only one where it 'worked' was one which had a country cottage type vibe and had the kind of kitchen where you could imagine that people did indeed bake every day. Other houses, it just seems artificial.

If you do need to have an air freshener, then go for a quick spray with one of those 'oust' type things which do actually get rid of, rather than mask smells. One of my kids woke up with a vomiting and diarrhoea bug on the first day of viewings and I had four viewings booked! There were two bin bags of soiled bedding including two duvets and pillows shoved into the shed and every window in the house opened!

tocs23

Obviously, making sure the house is clean is the most important thing... I am quite often amazed at what spaces viewers poke their heads into, so try to check every corner, nook and cranny before your viewings!

Make the most of the space you have by clearing away any unnecessary clutter. De-cluttering isn't easy with kids in the house, but lots of toys lying around is a big no-no I'm afraid... especially if your house will appeal to couples without children. Prospective buyers want to be able to imagine themselves living in each room, so 'zoning' is really important - especially if you have open plan areas. A living room, for example, should feel like an adult, relaxed space where they can put their feet up at night and chill with a large glass of wine! If you have an attic, hide as many of the toys as you can before every viewing!

Fresh flowers, plug-in air fresheners and scented candles are all good ways to create a nice smell... but don't over-do it or else it will look like you're trying to cover something! When we were selling our house, I also stuck a gel freshener (which you can pick up for under £1) at the back of each cupboard, out of sight. Get some Febreze to spray sofas and bed linen half an hour or so before viewings to keep rooms smelling fresh.

If you have wooden floors, use a nicely scented floor-cleaner - I always add more than is recommended to a bucket of hot water, and people do comment on the fresh/clean smell!

Lastly - if you have any broken tiles or grubby marks on walls or doors, replace and re-paint. Pull out any weeds in the garden, and wash down garden furniture. They are such small jobs, but can make a big difference to creating that clean and looked-after home feeling.

Good luck with it - keep us posted!

rosie383

And if you do go on to the House buying, renting and selling board, they will pressure you to put the link on there for your house. Lots of good info on there, but be aware that they are not all as friendly as on this board, not by a long chalk.
If you are finding that you haven't got a buyer for a few months, then it can be worth it to get some constructive criticism, but they will nitpick every tiny detail. BE WARNED! It can be useful, but scary. I'd go on there and read some of the threads, but unless you have a thick skin, don't be expecting loads of love.

Mojisola

rosie383 wrote: »

And if you do go on to the House buying, renting and selling board, they will pressure you to put the link on there for your house. Lots of good info on there, but be aware that they are not all as friendly as on this board, not by a long chalk.

It can be useful, but scary. I'd go on there and read some of the threads, but unless you have a thick skin, don't be expecting loads of love.

Loads of love wouldn't be useful - if a house isn't selling, you want constructive advice about changing anything that's putting buyers off.

Most suggestions are just that, advice.

Ben84

Despite the advertising claims, a decent percentage of people can't stand air fresheners and having them around will make their visit uncomfortable and possibly shorter too. Fresh air, the real stuff from outside, should be safe with anyone however.

I think de-cluttering is great, it makes the house feel bigger and it lets people see the house better when there is less stuff blocking their view. A proper clear out makes moving easier too. Open the curtains wide, and unless the windows are really exposed to onlookers, loosing any net curtains makes rooms so much brighter and bigger feeling. Not too much stuff in the window sills either.

Cleaning is good too. I'd try not to have any dirty clothes or washing up around. Just make it look like you like your house and take care of it, it's a positive impression of how the place has been looked after and it makes them feel good about it. A little patching with spare paint and paper here and there can help, unless your decorating is really worn. Replacing mouldy bathroom sealant around the bath can really improve the look, even if everything is a bit old. People tend to not see the wear and tear in their own house so much as other people do, so it can help to really look closely.

Alchemilla

@Rosie thanks for reminding me of Sky Cows!

Following with interest as also just going on the market.

rosie383

Mojisola wrote: »

Loads of love wouldn't be useful - if a house isn't selling, you want constructive advice about changing anything that's putting buyers off.

Most suggestions are just that, advice.

You are absolutely right. It can just be a bit of a shock to the system if this is the only board you ever frequent. Full of useful info over there though. And advice and opinion which can be essential especially if a house isn't selling, as no-one has an ulterior motive on there. If it's good they will say so, if it's not, then you will hear it.

Mojisola

rosie383 wrote: »

You are absolutely right. It can just be a bit of a shock to the system if this is the only board you ever frequent. Full of useful info over there though. And advice and opinion which can be essential especially if a house isn't selling, as no-one has an ulterior motive on there. If it's good they will say so, if it's not, then you will hear it.

If you can make the transition from thinking of it as your home to thinking of it as a business transaction, you don't take the comments so personally.

I know we completely changed this house when we moved in - I expect other people will want to do the same when we eventually sell up.

Rainy-Days

We we sold last year, the main thing was that we de-cluttered prior to putting it on the market. That made a huge difference however, here is your biggest and number one key

All rooms for should light, bright and airy and it was the one thing that everybody (we only had four viewings and it was sold on the forth) said from the estate agent to the prospective purchasers that the house was so bright. I went very neutral. I still had some chintz on the duvets, but the walls and furnishings were cream.

I also bought some of those scented reed diffusers which i got from Next and I found those lasted the longest.
When it was viewings on the Saturday afternoon I burnt a Yankee Lavender Lime candle and then put it out an hour before they came so it became a soft background scent (not in your face one) and again the scent of the home was always without fail commented upon. Choose clean fragrances.

I was lucky because every viewing was during bright sunshine. I made sure the windows were clean and all the windows ledges and door steps were washed. I also made sure there were no leaves at the front door and that every where was swept up outside.

In the bathroom and en-suite I also had the small window slightly ajar as well to give air circulation and I also made sure the heating was on as well to give it warmth. The house was sold in March last year. In the garage I made sure that the lights were already on in there and the smallest bedroom which faced North had the bedside lamp on.

I had also mowed the lawns in the previous week as well. There was no clutter, the worksurfaces in the kitchen were clean and the place was hoovered before they turned up. The overall feeling of brightness and space was the key and thats what got it sold.

rosie383

I agree Rainy Days about the light. That was the most frequent comment that we got and also the one thing we looked for when viewing. So if you are going to paint, then as light as possible is good.
Don't make the mistake that I did though. I didn't buy washable paint as it was a wee bit more expensive and we thought we would sell very quickly and whoever came along would change it anyway. 9 months on and we are still here due to sales falling through and waiting on the one we are buying being anywhere near ready to move into.
Our 'light' paint could really do with a clean. Thankfully in the kitchen and hall I did do washable, but the other walls are driving me nuts. I don't have tiny children any more, but even so, I really want to wipe over the walls but the paint just comes off. I am never painting anything ever again with non-washable paint!!