5^th February 2018

How to prepare your house for viewing

As we discussed in our previous post, making sure you are well prepared before putting your house on the market will make the process as stress free as possible. Carefully preparing a house for Viewing is an important consideration.

Marketing your property is key, but it’s only half the battle. Once you have a prospective buyer interested in viewing your property, you should do everything you can to really “sell” your property.

From kerb appeal to ‘the little things’, this post will show you how to correctly prepare your house for viewing.

You may find our “Prepare your home for photography guide” useful to help present your home in the best possible light to viewers. 

Be Mindful of Drive By Appeal

First impressions are important for any sale, and houses are no different. Potential buyers will make an immediate judgement on your home as soon as they see it.

To begin with, step outside your home and take it in as a whole. Then, answer the following questions:

 

• Has the lawn been mowed?
• Have any pathways been cleared of mess/have weeds been removed?
• Does the paint on your window frames and doors need a new coat?
• Do you have any display features (flower pots, ornaments etc.) outside the house?
• Have bushes/hedges been cut back and tidied?

If any of those areas need attention, then that’s where we recommend that you start. Once you’ve taken care of the exterior, it’s time to work on the interior.

 

Be prepared for questions viewers may ask you

You will typically be asked how long the property has been on the market, why you are moving, if you have had any offers / if you are willing to take offers. Never enter in to negotiations directly with the viewer over offers, what you will be leaving in the property etc. as this should be negotiated through your estate agent and solicitor as part of the legal process.

Don’t give out your contact details to viewers as it can really complicate negotiations further down the line and they can put unnecessary pressure on you.

You may be asked what the neighbours are like, what work you have done to the house and about facilities and shops and schools in the area. If you are unsure what you should and shouldn’t say about anything, refer to your estate agent who will be happy to advise you.

 

Living Areas

Living areas are important when it comes to selling a house. When you’re preparing a house for a viewing, you need to make every effort to make them seem appealing. Turn them into a space that potential buyers could see themselves relaxing and winding down in. Here are a few pointers:

 

• Remove any clutter from the room and put away personal possessions
• Keep your curtains/blinds open to let natural light in
• Give the house a deep clean
• Open a window to let some fresh air through the room

 

Bathrooms and kitchens

It’s important that anyone viewing your home sees it at its best.and bathrooms and kitchens are often seen as the most important features of a house.

Here are our top tips for preparing your bathroom for a viewing:

 

• Clear away any clutter, put away shampoo bottles and cleaning products etc.
• Put out fresh, folded towels
• Check any sealant/grouting for mould – reseal if necessary
• Clean and polish shower and bath fittings
• Add an air freshener to the room such as a plug in freshener or reed diffuser

 

A potential buyer will want to assess your kitchen in terms of both space and cleanliness. Again, it’s important that they’re able to visualise themselves using it.

Here are a few of our tips for making your kitchen as appealing as possible:

 

• Clean and polish all surfaces
• Put unnecessary appliances away
• Remove any clutter
• Give the oven a good clean
• Remove any pet food bowls
• Open a window to circulate fresh air

 

Exercise your green thumb

A little garden maintenance can go a long way when it comes to preparing your home for a viewing. Try the following as a starting point:

 

• Tidy away any general mess
• Cut back any overgrown hedges/bushes
• Jetwash any patios, paths and driveways
• Remove weeds from patios and pathways
• Mow the lawn
• Add seasonal fertiliser to the lawn to rejuvenate it

 

As we said, there’s no need to go out and buy elaborate water features to dazzle buyers – sometimes a simple, tidy space will give them the ability to visualise the changes that they might make to the garden.

 

On The Day of the viewings

If you’ve followed our above advice, then your home should be well prepared for viewings. However, there are still some things that you’ll need to consider on the day.

 

• Keep any pets out of the house – whilst you might love your pets, there’s always a possibility that someone may feel differently, or may be allergic. For this reason, we recommend that you ask someone to look after your pet or take them out for a walk during viewings
• Similarly, small children can be very distracting so try and see if someone can take them out or babysit them while you concentrate on showing people around.
• Make sure every room is at a comfortable temperature.
• Let the viewer walk into each room first so they get a feel for the size of the rooms without you standing in front of them.

 

We hope that you’ve found the above advice on preparing your home for a viewing useful, but if you have any questions, or would like any assistance in selling your home, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.