House viewing tips

[runningpink]

Hello,

I plan to do the house viewings myself so I can really sell my house.

Does anyone have any top tips of things to say/not say and do?

My house is clean, tidy and clutter free so no worries on that front.

Thank you!

No advice on what to say, but I thought it worth mentioning that a lot of buyers find it awkward when the seller is conducting viewings, and would prefer to be shown around with an estate agent.

If you're using an EA then get them to do the viewings, it's part of the service you're paying for.

Just be friendly and polite. After showing them round let them have a walk round on their own. Have a reason ready as to why you are moving.

I think it’s a terrible idea to do the viewings yourself - most people hate having the owner of the house around when they’re viewing.

Point out the stuff that adds value that they aren't likely to see.

Examples might be :

Running costs for energy/decent boiler/insulation.
Good schools.
Low crime rate (see crime maps).
Not in flood zone.
Neighbours and noise.
Parking.
Fences, condition.
Big loft (storage/potential conversion).
Other conversion opportunities.
garden shadow analysis.
electrics state.

Anything that is in a good state or has recently been repaired.

Ask them the question, why are you thinking of moving to this area and what is important to you in a house.

When they answer tailor your responses to sell your gaff.

Sell the benefits of the place and not the drawbacks. For example if they say "the kitchen is dated" you say "we left it like that as most people prefer to install to their own taste, but it's perfectly functional at the moment".

Always make sure the kitchens and toilets are clean. Especially the toilets. A grim toilet sticks in the mind. When they go away and think of your house, you don't want them thinking "oh yes, that was the one with a disgusting pit of a toilet".

I hate the owner showing me around. It's so awkward.

Open windows before viewings so your house smells fresh and aired.

Agree with others. My best advice is don't! Pick an excellent agent who takes the time to learn about your house. If you really have to, be there in another room to answer any other questions. But it's really really awkward when the owner shows prospective buyers around. They can't properly look and comment objectively.

In our area it’s much more common to have the owner do viewings than estate agents

My tips are to go upstairs first and go in order of bedroom size starting with main (and en-suite if applicable) … then into bathroom before heading downstairs.

Downstairs end the tour in what you think is the showstopper , if you have a lovely kitchen stop there etc - make sure you include viewing of garden / garage / outbuildings.

On the way round highlight the positives

lots of storage , lovely light , loads of sockets etc

Make it look like you love living there

At the end ask for any questions and be prepared to answer about council tax , utilities , the neighbours , local schools etc

Please don’t - use the Estate Agent! A good one will make sure they are fully informed and can answer questions, or, like mine, WhatsApp you during the viewing for anything they don’t know.

As a viewer it’s so awkward when the seller is there. You can’t say anything to people with you in case it offends them, you feel obliged to say nice things and they are always hanging around listening to everything you say. We specifically asked for the seller not to be there when we went for a second viewing recently as the first one had been so awkward.

A lot of the things Gaspanic mentions would make you sound desperate to sell and I would feel uneasy about why that was.

I did all the viewings when I was selling - it was during covid. But it was no problem - viewers seemed pleased to have someone there who knew the ins and outs. I have never used estate agents to show people round - too much of the slick and sickening hard sell spiel and too little genuine information.

I guess everyone is different, but as a buyer I really, really hate this, so my advice would be to give buyers the minimal details and then get out of the way! You could say, "have a nose around, don't be shy. We'll be waiting in the garden once you're done". You could then point out the things that aren't obvious, such as the lovely evening light in the garden, the nice neighbours, the fact you've kept the boiler serviced every year, etc, etc.

I always let the agent do the viewings, much better for everyone. If people come back for a second look ( if the agent thinks they are proceedable) it can be useful to be there to answer any questions. We always have a folder with our survey, and receipts, guarantees and service histories available.

As a buyer I hated viewings with the owner there. Just don’t do it.

Better to view with an agent still, as they know the market and the area - what similar houses been sold for similar price, how this house can be remodelled, would they need planing permission for those remodels, how this street compares to the parallel etc.

Where we live in the north east everyone shows their own homes at viewings. The only time estate agents do it is when they property is empty, I didn't realise this wasn't the norm!

Ours has just sold quickly, I pointed out important bits of the house but let them have a look round by themselves, I think they can take more in and don't feel as rushed.

They will likely have a few questions. We got some questions about why we were leaving, did we have a property in mind, the area,. neighbours, garden facing, schools etc.

Good luck in selling your house x

We just sold our house. There were 10 viewings total and for 9 of them the estate agent did them. The 10th couple couldn't come until after the estate agent was closed so I was asked if I wouldn't mind doing the viewing myself. And guess who sold the house - me!

I asked them what they are looking for and then subtly pointed out ways the house aligns with that as we went around. I highlighted the things we had done to the house such as new boiler, new windows, etc. I told them how nice the neighbours are, pointed out the different fruit trees in the garden, highlighted the original features in the house, etc. I was also honest about some of the slight negatives of the house - I think this made me come across as really trustworthy. When I showed them round I let them walk into each room ahead of me. I explained why we are selling as we have a very clear reason. I gave them time to walk around on their own also. I then explained we had a fair bit of interest in the house with a second viewing booked in the next day. The following morning we had an asking price offer.

When I was buying a few years ago the agents were almost universally useless.

I think out of about 10 only 1 actually made an attempt to sell the place and answer questions. The rest spent their time gazing into mobile phones and ignoring me.

If you can't do a better job than that there is no hope for you.

Oh I forgot one thing - practice on someone first.

Give them some time to look round themselves without you around.

i once saw a house at 12pm where the owner had only just got up and her teenage son was still in bed. Super awkward. Get family out of the way if you have them.

We did buy a house where the owner originally showed us around, but she was very talkative so we insisted on a second viewing with the estate agent when she was out.

If you must do the viewings yourself, as an ex estate agent for 30 years, these are my tips.
Don't talk too much, give them time to think and take the house in.
Have all internal doors already open, it makes the house seem more spacious.
You can point out the good points and anything new but dont overwhelm them with info.
Have a good reason why you are selling.
Work out in advance what you are going to say about the neighbours, without lying.
Most people make up their minds very quickly after entering the house whether or not they are interested. Don't oversell.

Just don't!. If you really must, then don't witter on trying to 'sell' it and pointing things out. It just makes you seem really desperate as a seller. No one has ever spent 100s of thousands of pounds because someone told them about an upgraded boiler and their favourite tree.

Judging by the number of people I encounter who buy places, only to find out they have to lay out 5K at the start getting the heating system fixed you're probably right.

V good point about wittering on. Every time I’ve suffered through a viewing with an owner, they’ve talked constantly about irrelevant shite and it’s been really annoying.

Don’t do it. I’ve declined looking at houses when I’ve found out the owner is showing people around. It’s really awkward, you can’t talk freely about things with who you’re doing the viewings with. It also turns it into such a personal thing when it’s purely a business transaction.

I did my own viewings (kids out). I showed them downstairs first (inside), then upstairs. Indicate the way, but let them lead. Let them walk into the rooms first rather than you blocking their initial view/take up precious space that you want to show off. I then left them upstairs, told them to take as much time as they wanted to wander, come down when they were ready. Then back through the downstairs out into the garden. Usually ended up in lots of chat about the neighbour and lots of questions. I got multiple, competitive offers within days of going on the market. Good luck!

I really wouldn't. We're buying and I would have been totally put off by the owner being there. One viewing the owner was still there, as we arrived early, and it was so awkward.