Preparing the Scene for Selling your Home
On the day of viewings, make sure you have a final tidy up and ensure there are no unpleasant smells around.
Try to air your home if possible, ensure that pet smells are minimised and avoid doing any cooking before your potential buyers arrive.
Consider a mild air freshener or potpourri – but don’t go overboard.
Do You Have To Be There?
If you have an estate agent who will be conducting the viewing, then leave him or her to it and go out, if you can.
Your presence will just make any potential buyers more nervous and will put you at risk of having to deal with awkward questions you may not wish to answer.
Even if you are selling your home yourself, it’s perfectly acceptable to have a friend or family member stand in for you – there’s no need for you to be there and it can work better this way.
If you are going to conduct the viewing yourself, remember these points:
Let potential buyers explore your home on their own – if you absolutely have to show them where things are, make sure they enter rooms first and then leave them to it.
Do not lead the way into rooms – this makes them seem smaller and prevents viewers from getting the best impression of a room.
Keep a copy of the property details handy – you may end up getting a bit nervous and tongue-tied and by referring to the details you can avoid putting your foot in it or getting confused.
Be prepared for any obvious difficult questions – but don’t be dishonest. You have a legal obligation to provide an accurate representation of your property if asked about it.
Personal Safety with Home Sale Viewings
It may seem a little paranoid, but you must pay attention to your personal safety when arranging and conducting viewings:
Never allow a passer-by to ‘just come in for a look around’. Make them ring up and book a viewing in the proper way.
If they try to pressure you, have a couple of prepared excuses eg just say you’re expecting visitors and it isn’t convenient right now.
If you are arranging your own viewings, make sure you know who is coming and when:
Always insist on getting a full name, address and at least one telephone number for any viewers. Don’t be afraid to ask for a work telephone number too – you can ring this number to confirm their identity if in doubt.
Try to have someone else present when conducting a viewing – failing that, make sure someone else knows when you are doing the viewing and give them the all-clear once it’s over.