Guide for conducting a viewing?

NeilCr

dunroving wrote: »

How close are you to Glasgow? And are you busy over the next few weeks?

;-)

Miles away. But for a fee!

:beer::beer::beer::beer:

I'm a bit amazed by some of the replies if I am honest. They seem way OTT. Clean and tidy is obvious but I don't want to see something over clinical. And, lived in in a nice way is good, too.

I'd say don't talk too much. Be prepared to answer questions but I, as a viewer, want to concentrate on what I am looking at not be listening to a monologue. I'd agree with the "let them make their own way round as much as possible" line. Be available, not intrusive.

Maybe I am a bit different. My OH sees things I don't. But then I am looking at it in a different way I think. I'm more general on a first viewing - whereas she is an ex EA and spots small issues at 100 paces!

jackieblack

dunroving wrote: »

Luckily, I am very familiar with the area, having lived here for 11 years, during which time I have used the buses frequently. ;-)

It's a great wee village north of Glasgow, with all sorts of great amenities, excellent schools, library, two pubs, Co-Op around the corner, doctor's surgery around the corner with same-day appointments, low Council tax, very mixed vibrant community (my street made it onto the national news during the recent Snowmageddon, because everyone came out and cleared the snow away, made pots of tea, etc.!), stupendous views. So, I'm not short of positive things to say - just about every one of those questions above has a positive answer. If I wasn't selling it, I'd buy it myself!

So if it's that great, make sure to have a reason as to why you are moving ready!

dunroving

jackieblack wrote: »

So if it's that great, make sure to have a reason as to why you are moving ready!

Just retired, family live in Burrrrrmingum. (No rude comments, please!)

I will be able to tell them, hand on heart, that it will kill me to leave this house and village.

adonis

googler wrote: »

Do not offer any negative comment about your own house, the area, the neighbours, etc. Only open your mouth to express a positive attribute or something factual.

Make sure the place is cleaned within an inch of its life. Make sure that anything the viewers are likely to handle or operate is in operational order. Door handles, kitchen cupboards, appliances, toilet (yes, someone WILL flush your toilet to "make sure it works"), wash basin, sink, etc.)

As was said, finish and have your summing-up discussion in your best room; for small rooms, leave them alone in the room rather than crowding in with them; offer some comment ABOUT each room to introduce it, rather than a bland "This is the bathroom", "Here's the kitchen" (if needs be, sit down in advance and make a script), such as "We decorated the kitchen last month" as you guide them in, or "The bathroom was refurbished last year"

Clear away anything of value that can easily disappear. Whilst you and your agent should have details of the viewers, there's no point in taking chances.

That reminds me of when we was looking for a house, as we barely set foot in the door the owner said the damp proofing and dry rot treatments have 25 year guarantees,:eek: and another with the husband asleep on the sofa after a trip to the pub, pink artex everywhere and a brain damaged kitten whose head wouldn't stay still.
Hated the house, loved the kitten.:)

victoriavictorious

I was in the same situation recently- we went under offer last week and like you, have our house up with an online agent.
I was eventually able to get the house 'viewer ready' in 15 minutes, and basically looking the same as it did in the Rightmove photos. Make a checklist if it helps.
All clutter cleared away - anything that might make the viewer think there's a lack of space (especially kitchen worktops; all I left out was kettle, toaster, breadbin and coffee machine.)
Washing up, laundry out of sight, clothes airer under the bed(!), floors as clean as possible, beds neatly made, clothes put away, toilet seat down(!)
No nasty pongs, probably best not to cook fish or curry when there might be viewings!
If we had advance notice of a viewing (although sometimes it was only an hour), I'd usually put a bunch of inexpensive seasonal flowers on a shelf in the hallway, so they were a pleasant welcome and made the hallway smell nice. And a bowl of fruit on the table.
As for leaving lights on, I only ever put them on for a dusk or evening viewing, or it might give the impression of a permanently dark house.
None of our viewers opened the fridge, dishwasher, or flushed the loo, etc, although one viewer did open the door of the understairs cupboard.
Only have one person showing them round and let them into rooms first. You might get 3 or 4 people in a family arrive together, so a room could soon look small and cramped with too many people in it.
As others have said, put away anything you don't want to lose - not to say you should mistrust viewers but you don't want to take chances. I always offered them tea or coffee which they always refused. It just seemed the hospitable thing to do.
Have a good story ready for why you're moving (they all ask why and where to). They'll also ask you what the neighbours are like. Luckily ours are ok!
Positive spin on the house and area (without blatant lies, obviously!) and after you've shown them the house and garden, invite them to have a wander round on their own while you *get on with some emails* - in your best room, so that's the last impression they'll take away with them.
I personally wouldn't ask them what they think about the house, or it will put them in an awkward position and comes across as pushy and desperate.
My parting shot was always that if any questions occurred to them later, please feel free to get in touch again via the agent.
Mostly it's a matter of playing it by ear but there's no one better qualified to show people round your home than you - it gets easier the more you do it and you'll be fine
Good luck!

Beardmidget

All my viewings were done by EA until one Saturday A few weeks ago when the agent was sick, so I agreed (relatively reluctantly given their gobsmacking commission in the end) to do it myself because there were 3x buyers lined up for 11am.

Offer came in on Monday morning for my ‘target price’ (which was less than the asking but something the agen has said they “didn’t think I’d achieve in this market”). Still waiting to hear what my year end bonus will be :rotfl:

Basically advice above is sound- tidy. Toilet seats down. Don’t just blurt out every niggle you have with the house. We had done LOADS of work on it and I wasn’t convinced the agent was even mentioning it (wet underfloor heating throughout ground floor for instance)- expensive and invisible.

franklee

Think about the parking. If you have a drive your cars should not be there, move them so the viewer can park there. If you park on the street use your cars to hog space and then move them away just before the viewing so the viewer can park easily.

We opened windows wide to air the house in advance, then shut them and got the house to a comfortable temperature. Then turned the heating off to avoid noisy boiler during the viewing. Or if a hot day keep the house cool with drawn curtains and open just before viewing.

No air fresheners. Many people don't like them or will wonder what smell they are masking.

Lights are a tricky one, we made a list of all rooms and chose lights on or off for each one individually.

No need to explain and demonstrate everything. I recall a very enthusiastic vendor who opened every draw and cupboard to demonstrate his newly fitted kitchen. Excessive details are not for making the initial impression on a first viewing.

If selling in winter have a couple photos of the sunny garden in full bloom available to show when talk turns to the garden.

Think what you will say about your onward move. You may be asked if you have found somewhere yet, rough idea of timescales, details of chain if any etc.

If you make a mistake don't worry, it probably won't be a deal breaker. Our vendor let slip some comments that were unwise, had dogs and a cute toddler at home causing distractions but this didn't put us off. If anything it may have helped us.

lovehols

I've done all my viewings. It's a bungalow and I'd let them in, tell them I'd show them each room and then they can explore themselves. I'd briefly go into each room then leave them to it. I'd then say I'd lived in the area 10 years so if they had any questions please ask. You very quickly know whether they are taken with it or not. I'd leave the garage and brick shed unlocked and they either would or wouldn't go in. If they didn't it was almost a given they weren't interested in the house, I mean even if you didn't want a garage or shed you'd want to look at them to check it wasn't falling down etc etc.

I'd also have a copy of my EPC, water and gas and electric bill and council tax bill and give them a choice of seeing these. Surprising the amount of people that wanted to know rates, monthly costs etc which seems to be a deciding factor.

Local knowledge too and sometimes knowledge about them - social media can be a good way of knowing a little bit, such as whether they have kids/grandkids, their interests and where family live. It's easy to then determine what they may be looking for and why they are viewing your house in the first place. Both people who made an offer on my house with I clicked with straight away, not saying this has made it easier but I knew even before they left they would be making offers.

lovehols

Oh and yes decide if you want people to take their shoes off or not! As someone who automatically takes my shoes off when I enter someone's house it was annoying for me for those who didn't and I then started to ask. No one minded!

PokerPlayer111

Just went on a viewing the other day with a vendor who was using doorsteps to sell his property at £99 fees only, total.

We walked in door, the vendor was friendly said hello + couple bits of chit chat. Vendor then let us look around the place while they sat at the sofa. After viewing we had a quick chat, mostly about stuff like the area and neighbours. Then we left. was easy, great job by vendor, enjoy not paying estate agent thousands.