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!

if you absolutely must (e.g if you're with an online agent), I'd let them in but stand outside. Let them come to you with questions. You don't need to 'show' them round.

As I'm the one who mentioned I told my buyers about the new boiler and fruit trees - did you bother to read the rest of my post because as I said, I actually sold the house 🤣. I think it's quite sexist actually to accuse women of "wittering on" for daring to speak - I've never heard anyone say it about a man!

I much preferred being showed round by the owners, found estate agents smarmy and annoying. The one I bought I was shown round by the lovely owner, she answered all my questions but also left plenty of time for me to wander around on my own and think while she sat downstairs. It felt way less pressurised than the estate agent.

Man or woman! Both can witter! My apologies though I wasn’t relating the boiler and fruit trees comment to you in particular though I can see that it may have looked like that. I would hazard a guess though that your buyers would have bought regardless of who showed them around.

I actually would like that information. It gives a sense that the house has been loved, and that there will be a good tree!

Sorry I took it wrong and thanks @jenandberrys 😊 You could well be right they'd have bought anyway. I am a little proud of myself though - I've never sold anything else before in my life!

I hate being shown around by the owner and being told about all the things they've done to the house - either I like the house or I don't but being told by Barry how often he'd sanded a door to get it so smooth was not of interest to me. Whereas I really did want to look inside cupboards and turn taps on and flush toilets

Where I live the owner almost always shows people around (Yorkshire). When we sold it was presumed we would do viewings and when we bought most were owners doing them unless they were empty. I preferred it as you could ask questions and get an actual answer there and then. You could also directly ask the vendor why they were selling and what their onward chain was. This was important to us as we had 4 chains fall apart.

As pp said have a good reason for selling. Don’t lie about moving into rented if you have no intention of doing so. I would give a little tour then get out in the garden to allow people to view on their own terms. If you have kids or pets perhaps get someone to take them out during the viewing. If you have a driveway move your car off it so people have somewhere to park, if it’s street parking try and leave a space outside. It’s stressful and off putting when you get to a viewing and don’t know where to park.

Don't worry, there are a lot of scared estate agents around at the moment given the state of the property market :)

It sounds like you did an excellent job that you should definitely be proud of - you got the sale and no one can argue with that !

Thanks everyone. I definitely don’t want to rely on the Estate agent for viewings unless I have too.
I also think it’s the norm around here to do yourself.

I wouldn’t be hounding any potential viewers. My plan was to Show them around briefly and then leave them to have a good look on their own then I’m around to answer questions at the end if they have them.
I do feel the property will sell itself but I’d like to be on hand for any information they would like.

I also have a good reason for selling so no issues there

Thanks for the advice and input it’s much appreciated

might be a bit unusual but I’d probably make up a pack I can give them at the start of visit with extra and essential info.
absolutely do not be pushy and a simple show them around and then let them walk around themselves for plenty of time. Zero pressure or I think you’ll put them off. Good luck! Apparently the smell of fresh coffee helps sell houses 😬

Being shown by the owner actively puts me off viewing.

1. Don't do the viewings yourself. It's awkward you don't get honest feedback and it makes most people run for the hills.

2. tell the estate agent you are happy to answer any questions and to tell the viewers that.

3. clean, tidy and have the windows open an hour or two before viewings so it smells fresh.

My husband did our viewings and we got loads of offers. My job was to get the house clean and tidy and take the kids out whilst the viewings happened. He did research on how to do the viewings and treated it as though he was a professional agent. The feedback we got was that the viewers were really impressed by him and he was able to answer their questions such as things about the solar panels. He would always give them time to wander around after he has showed them around. I can understand though that others experiences with the owners doing the viewings could be very different. The first sale of the house fell through, the second buyer was actually shown around by the agent and my husband did the second viewing. He was able to show her things that clearly the agent had no idea about so she was really happy after the viewing and so far (touch wood) the sale is progressing

Owners tend to do viewings in Scotland because of the system. I preferred having an Estate agent show folk around when I was selling in Ireland.

I'd just let them lead with questions and give them space to take things in.

I loved having the owners show me around, they are soo much more useful than agents!

I think your plan @runningpink sounds good, you're giving them space which is vital.

I do think the attitude of the owner makes a huge difference if they are doing the viewings rather than an estate agent. You know the viewers will probably want to make comments to each other about the property (or your curtains or that embroidered picture Auntie Vera did) and it's awkward to do that in front of a sentimental vendor, so if you can a) be pragmatic about the house and b) give them the opportunity to look around without you in earshot, it would be fine. The owner knows far more about the property and the area it's in at all times of the day and night, they're far better placed to present the house accurately than the EA.

I discovered my EA was actually telling my potential buyers lies about the parking out front, so they can't be relied on to be honest and unbiased any more than the vendor might be.

A tour with the owner first of all then leaving the viewers to look again with the chance to check water flow rates, extent of storage cupboards, things like that works well. (Obviously you wouldn't leave anything private or valuable out where they could be seen/taken - unlikely but sensible to be cautious.) Sit out in the garden where they can see you if they want to ask any questions. And info like the best spots in the garden to catch the sun is lovely too!

And yet our vendors showed us round and we pretty much fell in love with the house because of their favourite magnolia tree in the back… We were also delighted to hear about all the maintenance they’d done on their boiler, see them adjust their hive and listen to how they’d restored all their beautiful original features. An agent wouldn’t have been able to show us that, and having done up a house previously, we knew exactly what we were looking for that only an owner could have shown us

I really don't like the seller doing viewings, it's really awkward.

My EA did all the first viewings but both buyers who had second viewings asked me to be there to explain about a more unusual feature. I think that was ok because they'd already seen the house without me.

Years ago we were shown around by the seller. He led us into each room and then stayed with us in the room so there were 3 of us in each room, even in the bathroom! And he talked to us about his family, his job, his hobbies. Let the agent do the viewings.

More natural light and a bit of perfume

I don’t understand why some pp’s find it awkward being shown around someone’s house by the owner. It’s an obvious situation for all parties so surely if you’ve got reservations about it being small or whatever you’d just say and be polite yet honest? I think I’d feel like I could ask more questions and get a much better feel with the owner than an EA. Where we live (not in Uk) many people sell themselves without an agent and it’s quite common. I find EAs typically pushy and tell you fibs on visits. They often know nothing really about the property! Good luck op let us know how you get on x