Dear
Now its time for
viewings!
You have chosen an agent to do the job- you are paying them a fee and I cannot
stress this point enough – let
the agent do the viewing.
A potential buyer
feels more comfortable, able to ask any question, talk about
the neighbours business of the road etc: when dealing with an agent rather than
have the home owner lurking in the background or even worse following the
viewing around adding what they consider important information.
I don’t want to go on about
candles, fresh flowers or even the smell of baked bread,
important as they are, I feel they are a given and we want to give you more
pertinent advice
Unless your pet is
incredibly well behaved, then farm out to a neighbour for the
viewing. Boisterous, bouncy dogs are not everyone's cup of tea. Also it
can hamper the flow of the viewing if you have to keep doors closed in order to
avoid pets escaping from kitchens into gardens - it's a
distraction.Also pet bowls should be at the very least clean if not removed
from view
Presuming you have read our preparation
for viewings Top Tips No1 the house
will be clean and presentable so we don’t need to go over old ground. But
clearly have a tidy up before we arrive, put away newspapers, magazines and
pick up any post on the doormat. The kitchen should be imacculate, no
dirty dishes left in the sink please
Consider your location,
if you know it's bin collection on Thursday mornings forget booking viewings
when the pavement fronting your property is full of wheelie bins. If you
live in a charming cul de sac with the local primary school at the entrance,
avoid school pick up and drop off times. Your buyer will already have
noted this you don’t need to demonstrate the evidence before they have even had
chance to look at, or indeed be charmed by the house.
Are all the rooms open
and available to view, sleeping teenagers or even lodgers need
to be avoided at all costs – this has happened to us on several occasions and
is an unwanted intrusion for both parties.
If its winter and the
garden is bare you could leave a selection of photographs to
show the garden at its finest. Buyers love to see the vendor has thought about
what they might not see from a single viewing.
Buyers like to open
cupboards, dishwashers and ovens, they also like to look in
storage cupbards to see how their own home contents could possible fit
into your space. Please don’t leave us any nasty surprises, or overstuffed
cuboards clearly demonstrating a lack of space.
Garages, a pet hate
for any agent and a disappointment for the buyer if they are
locked and we don’t have access. Buyers like to look in garages, sheds and any
other outbuildings you may have, so make sure your agent has the key