Are you preparing your property for viewings? Read through our house-viewing checklist to see what makes potential buyers fall in love.
Of course, it's important to clean and tidy your property, hoover the carpets, stow any clutter...and fresh flowers or nice scents are a nice touch! See How to prepare your property for viewings for more details on that. However, if you want to know a bit more about what happens at these viewings, and what you can do to make them more successful, here are nine things you should know.
1. Fortune favours the flexible
When will buyers want to view my property?
We conduct 22% of our property viewings outside regular working hours. It is difficult to fit house hunting into a work schedule, so the more flexible you can be for last-minute viewings, the more viewings we can complete.
2. Keys, please.
How soon will viewings start?
With Foxtons, you can bring a set or two of keys in the local office. We recommend you do this as soon as possible after you instruct us, because our Negotiators start talking to their registered applicants right away, so we can sometimes begin viewings as soon as we get the keys.
3. Nail the crucial first impression
What are buyers looking for when they visit my property?
Many buyers will catch their first glimpses of the property from the pictures on our website (or Rightmove, or Zoopla). That's why Foxtons invests in an in-house Specialist Photography team (see their property photography featured throughout this article).
If you've just cleaned and de-cluttered for a photographer, you're all set. Keep the property photo-ready for viewings, so the buyers who've been pouring over the photos can see the same elements that first caught their attention when they step through the door.
See Tips from our Photographers to generate more viewings for more information.
4. Know what will stick with them
How do I make my property memorable?
Ideally, agents will be taking the buyer around to multiple homes - this is how they get more people in to view your property. So at the end of the day, what will make them remember yours? Think about your property's best features. Do you have some clever kitchen storage? A beautiful accent fireplace? Does the morning sunlight hit your breakfast nook just perfectly? If you're with Foxtons, you can even write a personal note in your My Foxtons account and we'll add it to the property listing.
5. Make the market work for you
Where are the buyers coming from?
All of our Negotiators compete across our 60 offices to make the best sale for you, so my team can connect with buyers all over London who are looking for a home like yours, no matter where they are. That way, we are all working to find the right buyer for your property. Say you're selling a spacious family home in Kingston. We can market it to growing families in Richmond and Twickenham. Or maybe you have a one-bed flat in Southall. You should be engaging the student population in Ealing.
6. Study the space
Should I stage my property for viewings?
The idea around staging a property is to maximise the potential of each room and inspire the buyer. Whether or not you stage it, you'll want to be sure you've thought about the space you're selling.
You can show any property in its best light - even if you're selling a completely unfurnished property, the floor and walls make their best impression when they are clean.
If you do have furniture in the property, consider how it accentuates the space. If you've got an empty corner, maybe you can put your cosiest chair in it with a fluffy throw draped across the arm. If you've got a three-bed property, you might display the third room as a home office to show the diversity of the space.
**Note: we are not recommending you buy new furniture to sell your property, just that you carefully consider what and where furnishings are placed it.**
7. The ideal look and feel
What is the best way to decorate a home for sale?
Clean spaces with lots of light work well and don't cost an arm and a leg. A fresh coat of paint will do more for your property than installing expensive new artwork. Be sure you've scrubbed all the surfaces and opened all the curtains to provide an open and airy environment for viewings.
8. Follow the feedback
What do buyers think about my property?
If you instruct Foxtons, you'll see feedback from the buyers who view your property. Keep an eye on it and bring us any questions you have. Sometimes, the feedback reflects more on the buyer's search requirements. Sometimes, it contains useful insight for optimising your property.
9. Leave it to us
Should I step out when buyers come to view my property?
Foxtons Negotiators know the property and the area, and how to sell it successfully. So, we recommend you take the kids and the dog for a walk. It's easier for buyers to relax and ask us questions when we have their full attention. It's our job to accompany them through the property and we know just when to speak up or step back to give them the best experience of the space.
Further information...
See what your property can achieve in the current market: book a valuation.
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