Here are the last two Top Tips on Selling your home.
Stand back!
For a first viewing, it’s always best to let your agent show potential buyers around. There’s no doubt that you know your own home best, but your agent will know exactly what your viewers are looking for, and they’ll know how to present your home’s features in the best light.
They’ll also know how to put people at ease, which can be tricky when they’re walking around someone else’s home. But that’s important, because you want people to feel comfortable so they can picture themselves relaxing in front of the fire, or entertaining friends in that newly tiled kitchen. So let them wander freely through your home with the agent. Ideally, you should leave the property entirely, but if that’s not practical then at least make sure you stay out of the way.
When it comes to a second viewing and you have people who are obviously showing signs of serious interest, it’s worth asking your agent if they would like you to be present. This will give you the chance to highlight the features that first attracted you to the property. You’ll also be able to talk about all the positives of the location, like the great local amenities, the schools, and maybe the great transport links. That’s when your inside knowledge really comes into play.
Open house
If your home is truly unique – maybe you live in a chocolate-box cottage, a penthouse apartment, or simply a beautiful home in a great location – then consider an ‘open house’ event. This is an increasingly popular strategy, and if done well, it can attract a number of potential buyers and create a mini seller’s market for your property.
The secret of success lies in the organisation. So agree with your agent appropriate times, dates and a guide price, then get them to work up some really strong PR for the event. They should advertise in the local press and online, and issue personal invitations to create a sense of exclusivity. Make sure you have feedback forms ready too, so you can learn first-hand what your viewers liked and didn’t like about the place.
Your ‘open house’ should take place before your property reaches the wider marketplace. If you get requests to come early, stand strong! Don’t allow anyone to view before the event as you’ll destroy the impact of an exclusive launch. Your goal is to get all your potential buyers together on the same day to create a sense of excitement and competition.
By concentrating viewings over the course of a morning, a weekend, or even a string of dates, it allows you to dress your home for the occasion without having to constantly live in a “high state of readiness” should your agent call with a viewing.
If all goes well, your open house event will reveal a number of potential buyers and you could find yourself with multiple offers, or even have several parties bidding against each other. But even if it doesn’t go to plan, your feedback forms should give you valuable insight into where you sit within the market - so you’ll know precisely what you need to do to make your property even more attractive.
The final word
When you start working on your property in preparation for selling, it’s easy to get carried away. Don’t! Avoid spending money unless it will enhance the appearance of your property and help you attract more viewers and achieve a higher price. Never improve a property out of its category or neighbourhood.
Arrange for one of our experienced property experts to value your home. They will be more than happy to share their thoughts with you, and offer expert guidance on how to maximise its value and saleability.
We hope you have found our Tips helpful over the last few weeks and don’t forget if you are thinking of Buying or Selling then contact Heritage at our offices in Portishead, Nailsea, Yatton.