Help me 'sell' my property - first viewing tomorrow!

[pavlovthecat]

We have had our apartment on the market for two weeks. We have our first viewing tomorrow. A couple.

Any top tips for making it look fab?
I have re-painted the hallway, as there were some rips and tears, nothing flash, just freshened, made the world of a difference.

I have tidied and decluttered. I have hung some great paintings up that I never got round to in the hallway, have taken down a couple in the front room as make it perhaps too personal and maybe a bit cramped. I will be taking down the stair gates and fire guard so they can see what it looks like without.

What else? Any particular smells? I dont want to make to insencey or flowery, and certainly dont want that i have just bleached the bathroom smell! How about fresh flowers - look nice or look like we have dressed it too much?

What about baby toys? I have tidied these up, put some of the larger obtrusive toys in cupboard, left out a couple of specific pretty toys - my thinking is, we clearly do have a toddler, as the second bedroom is a nursery, so hiding it all will look like we have hidden it delberately, but on the other hand I don't want them to have to look past toys all over the place.

I want the apartment to look lived in and comfortable, but not too us, I want the people viewing to imagine their things, not ours, but still see it has a home, a place they can be happy in like us.

So, any ideas, suggestions, glaringly obvious things I have not thought of...?

Fresh flowers a good idea. Open all the windows before the viewing so your rooms are lovely and fresh. Don't use air fresheners.
Tidy away as many toys as possible and those you do leave out make sure they're not all over the place.
We've had ours on the market since January and haven't sold yet. The market in our area has gone completely flat. I have repained the dining room, klitchen and hallway and replaced the kitchen flooring, which all made a huge difference.
Good luck (but don't get your hopes up too high).

Lyra - agree with no air freshners! I dont really want the place to smell of anything, if that make sense, as everyone has their own preferences to what is nice and it may well be different to our tastes!

Toy wise - I have left one box, neatly packed in the front room, a bear in her chair in the kitchen, which I am leaving out as it is one of those you attach to the table, not obtrusive, and again, want to appear that we always live like this! Mostly the place is tidy, we have kept it as tidy as we can in case we get short notice viewings, so that we just have to do a quick declutter before they come.

I am going to go out when they come round. Is this preferable? I know that when we have been looking, I have preferred the owners not to be there.

What kind of fresh flowers? Simple, nice smell? or just pretty?

Lyra - not getting hopes up. Well I am, but not being unrealistic. We have slowed down the looking ourselves as we know we may not get an offer on ours in the near future/at all right now.

Just something colourful if you have a neutral room. Maybe some tulips in a vase on the dining room/kitchen table?
Yes, go out. I've had to be at home for a couple of viewings and the people tend to just have a quick glance around. I think you being there makes them feel uncomfortable.

Same here. We've found a brilliant house. It's a doer upper, needs absulotely masses of work but has huge potential and the location is perfect. But we can't put in an offer till we have an offer on ours.

I have an allergy to lilies and some other flowers with strong pollen/smell and it can make house viewing a nightmare if folk have gone flower mad! Also as market not great, buying flowers every time you have a viewing gets pricey...how about nice plants/flowerin g plants that will last and then you get to take them to your new house too!!

get feedback afterwards

No candles, no insence things, fresh air, lots of light.

Pull back the curtains as far as they go. Open blinds. Even out on lamps etc in dark corners.

Keep toys tidy (you can't be expected to hide everything).

TIDY UP THE FRONT - outside. Even clean the door etc. Put away all shoes.

If you are showing them around, let them walk in to a room first, don't lead (don't go in first), you'll use up visual space in the room and have to squeeze in/out the door to go to the next room, it all gets messy.

Make sure you put all your valuable things away if you let them wander around on their own afterwards. My mum had her engagement ring stolen on a day when she had 3 viewings.

Put a pot of coffee on.

Good luck (crosses fingers)

Oh, allergies are a good point!
Communal Hallway - bit tired looking Should I hand a painting?

I have put my lovely lavender which has gone a bit nuts out the front, just to make it look a bit more inviting. I will go clean the door/step/pull up weeds!

Whilst I agree it will cost to get flowers everytime we get a viewing, we do have flowers quite regularly anyway, and I think it might be nice for us too!!! But I definitely not lots. Just something simple on kitchen table - a good idea.

Thanks everyone!

Any more? It might be our first viewing, but it might be their millionth and this might be perfect for them. I am going think this way with everyone coming through, and make that much effort, whilst not getting excited. So keep them coming! Even tiny weeny little things that might be useful.

Snora - at your mum's engagement ring being pinched!

Yes - I was going to say, tidy up any communal bits, even though they're not really your responsibility - you want them to feel that it's a good place to live, not just your apartment, the whole building.

Funky brown duvet set with matching throw, silk edged, soft green and cream flowers over it, or white egyptian cotton, with silk stripes through?

It was terrible, the sentiment value far greater as my father died many years before. But she didn't know who took it.

Jackie - communal bit is luckily just me and an old lady! Its a converted victorian house, thats why its tired, her cleaner cleans it, but its not been decorated for a while!

Sounds fine then. White bedlinen every time, imo.

(although the brown sounds lovely, just safer with the white).

white - think bright

ok, with the white then! Its our wedding present duvet and what with having a toddler we don't use it too often, which means it is still sparkly white!
I have just put the brown on, and I think it is a bit too dark.

So, lets go get the white stuff. Oh goody, I love egyptian cotton. Shall sleep well tonight!