house up for sale

[jinna]

we have put our house up for sale and we have got a couple to come and view it tomorrow - what things should i concentrate on looking good? - what things do you look out for when you go and view a house - thanks in advance for your input

Look for minor "problems" that might make a buyer think there are more major things they can't see. Things like new, modern light switches - if yours are old, grubby and dated they may think "rewiring!". Do any outstanding jobs, a quick lick of paint to any really shabby areas and one of the House Doctor's bug bears: make sure every room has a proper purpose. We have a play room in what should be the dining room but were we selling, I'd pack up a lot of the toys and shove a table and chairs back in there.

lubu - how did the viewings go this afternoon?
i've spent all day cleaning the house - will buy some flowers and try and spruce it up a bit for tomorrows viewing
I've never done a viewing and feel a bit apprehensive - is it good to talk a lot about the rooms, etc or just be brief
any last minute advice

Let the viewers walk into a room first - makes it bigger if you're not already taking up space.
Say things like "You can do this" rather than "We do this" to give them the impression that they already live there IYSWIM.
Save the best room til last or start with the best and then take them back to it at the end so that is the place freshest in their mind when they leave.
Think up something positive to say about every room so you're not just saying "This is the bathroom, this is the living room".Things like "This is a really cosy room" "This gets lots of natural sunlight" "This has lots of good storage"

They were really nice people and they liked the house so will have to see what happens now. dh showed them around so I don't know what he did. We have never sold a house before so this is all a new experience for me.

When we have looked at houses in the past, I always preferred people who didn't talk to much but just answered my questions - but that's probably just me.

Let us know how you get on tomorrow.........

why dont you get the agent s to do it? that would remove the direct stress from you and you wont be second guessing what they think.

remember it doesnt matter HOW nice they are.. this is business!!

You are right, and I think that the agent probably wouldn't talk as much as dh who is a real fish wife. Might suggest it for next time. I hate selling things, better at buying

they cancelled - ohhhhhhhhhh i am so furious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i spent the whole day decluttering and cleaning and organising - bought the flowers, drank the wine - and just two hours before they were due to come the agent called to say that they were cancelling - anyway on the positive side atleast the house in a respectable condition for once - no that doesn't make me feel any better - i'm still fuming

Oh Jinna. that would make me so mad. I bet you feel like phoning them up and telling them how you feel! No offers for us yet, but at least I haven't got so much work to do for next time.

We just had a viewing, our first ever since registering with Estate Agent, and they said they will be putting an offer in! Yoohoo!!

You all live in such Genial neighbourhoods. A bottle of wine would go down extremely badly with my prospective buyers -- so far, all Muslims. I have a strong hunch they wouldn't notice flowers, either. I nearly died because I forgot to hide the Guinea Pigs and I know that the Bengalis see them as vermin, too. Rather than toast I might have done well to cook some basmati rice, though. And keep the sausages well hidden.

I also vote against coffee & vanilla; those smells make me feel sick!

Thanks for other good tips on this thread, wish I had read it an hour earlier!

ZEBRA - what do you mean by Genial neighbour hood?

lol at "drank the wine"!!
imagine you half cut staggering around,,,,

I meant to write "genteel" -- what I suppose I truly mean is "middle-class university-educated white British probably southerner, even more probably Londoner values", but don't know how many more or fewer people that would offend. That Mumsnetters generally fit that profile is probably the reason I like MN, more educated and open-minded than average, but now some working class Northern black Mumsnetter is sure to get on my case that they like wine and the smell of vanilla, too.

well zebra i would say i am middle classed, university educated, a southern and british born - only i've not white!!!!!

I live in a mainly white area - maybe i should get out the union jack, largers and fish and chips and put on an england football kit!!!

I've always thought mumsnetters were open minded - maybe i'm wrong

See, told you I'd piss somebody off! When I read the tips people gave that I could see you all live in communities that are totally unlike where I live. But there are plenty of wealthy Muslims who might be shopping in your neighbourhood, too, and therefore might find the private wine cellar offputting. Just something to think about. Better not say more or I'll make people even angrier.

avoid those plug in room scenters - they are disgusting and I've come across so many in house viewings - they'd really put me off - what are they hiding ? mostly though they just make me feel sick !
but coffee (real) is lovely

Zebra - I must admit your comments did annoy me - it is the stereotypical comments you made about muslim people ( i am not muslim myself by the way). I have muslim friends who do like to drink wine, have pets and eat meat, and love to see FLOWERS in the house!
It made me wonder that when people view myself (with my brown skin) - do they have an opinion about me before i even open my mouth.
A lot of asian people are now 2nd, 3rd generation, born in britain and also regard themselves as british but with pakistani or indian roots.

I know you're right, Jinna, from Turkish friends, very Muslim and also all the things you said (like wine, like pets as much as anybody, etc.). But the largest Muslim groups in Britain are also Bengalis or Pakistanis, and they tend to be very conservative communities, esp. about alcohol, at least in public although anything can happen behind closed doors. As for pets, I only said that Bengalis (not Muslims per se) seem to see them as vermin (presumably too much like rats, and I imagine in a very wet country like Bangladesh, wild rats are a big nuisance). Also because mine is a relatively "poor" area I think few people indulge in the luxury of buying flowers so they might just seem contrived or foreign or showing off when you're nosing around someone else's house.

Plus, my house is small/crowded enough that I couldn't add flowers without making them look like clutter! Just reinforces what I was saying about living in a very different area from most you gals.