We know from experience that if you are looking to achieve an asking price offer or as close to as possible, the better your home looks and feels for potential buyers is crucial.
You know they say you have the first few minutes to impress an employer in an interview? Well, the same applies when a buyer walks into your home but on a more emotional note. We know that decisions are made very quickly once the buyer steps foot in your home because they have already researched or been to the area, know the layout and size from the details online and have been impressed by the photos to call and make an appointment.
The next step for them on their journey is to know your home is as good in real life as it is in the photos and to make sure it feels like it could be ‘Home’ for them and their family – it truly is all about them at this point.
You will already have your own thoughts on how your home should be presented, you are the one that lives there after all, but it is always worth asking us for our opinion in case we have some options for you to consider. Our job entails us dealing with buyers and showing them homes day in day out so you will be surprised in our suggestions that may not have occurred to you.
Remember that your marketing photos are what enticed the buyer to come to view your home so the closer you can keep your home to the photos the better. They will be expecting this look when they walk through the door, however we are all human and there may be little tweaks that could not be the same and they will understand that.
Speaking of being human, there will always be last minute little jobs that you would want to do before the buyer arrives so we thought we would put together a little check list of steps that will help you prepare to welcome what could be your dream buyer and to ‘Show Your Home At Its Very Best’;
First impressions go along way, so when your buyers are approaching your home, their minds are already going through the check list. If you have somewhere for buyers to park their car, we would highly recommend that you move your car before they arrive so they can pull up without hesitation. The path leading to your front door should be clear and tidy, remember a potted plant or two won’t go a miss either for making them feel welcome. You have made the effort of making your home presentable for this viewing so do not forget to give the front door a wipe over too!
There is nothing more pleasing than to feel a house has plenty of space as the buyers will be thinking of what they can and can not fit into the house. They need to know there is plenty of room for their furniture, children’s toys, and anything else that’s top priority to them. Try to remember that you’re marketing your home for the next family to enjoy it, so keeping things tucked away, in their rightful places and on top of the housework will go a long way especially when buyers ask to view very last minute. It will save you time and energy instead of having to turn away potential buyers because you do not have time to get the house in order.
We all know that we want to go into a bathroom that is clean and fresh, so this will apply when it comes to viewings as well. Keep on top of the bathroom just like you are the rest of the home, and you will only have these couple of points to tick off. Get new clean towels out on the rads/rails, put some nice smelling toilet bleach down the loo, spray a little of your air freshener and close the toilet lids (this one is mainly for the men!).
Why not make a little box up with a fresh set of towels, an air freshener and new toilet roll that you can swap out for when you have viewings and swap back after?
I cannot be the only one that follows all the home accounts on social media, or am I? If you do, you will know all about the extra touches that can make all the difference to a room and just make it feel that little bit more inviting and somewhere people would like to stay. Throws, candles, fresh flowers, and pillows really work in reception and bedrooms whilst colourful fruits work well in the kitchen. If you are a baker then why not bake some fresh bread or cakes to lay out on the counter and let the fresh baked smell do its job. Our sense of smell is associated with memory so it could bring back some wonderful memories of happy times with their families at home growing up or baking with their parents!
We get so used to our own gardens that we forget a lot of people do not have that outside area now or if they do, it could be a lot smaller. If we are all lucky enough to have the sun shining when the buyers are viewing, you will have no idea how much it will pay off to have that garden enticing them to imagine family gatherings, BBQs, and the fun they can have out there. We may not get a lot of sunshine here in the UK but when we do, we are the first ones to get the BBQ out and have people over. Make sure if you have grass that it has been cut recently (maybe every 2 weeks), again, like the front of the house, put a few potted plants around or in gaps that need it and the most important that will lead nicely onto our next point, make sure you pick up any pets number 2s that may be there so buyers don’t have to worry about where they are walking!
Our little Jack Russel Bane is classed as one of the family however, we do understand that pets are not everyone’s cup of tea, and some people may even be allergic or scared of our pets. We would highly recommend either you take your pets out on a lovely walk if you can while the viewing is taking place or try to keep them in one room just for a short period of time. Some people maybe lucky enough to have neighbours that could help for 15-20 minutes but if you have any concerns just let us know and we can make the viewers aware ahead of schedule.
At Patrick James Property Consultants, we are always ready to help as best we can, so if you have any questions about the above or need any advice at all just give us a call or email us – we look forward to speaking to you soon.
