Inviting strangers to walk into your home as prospective buyers can be nerve-wracking. Most owners will leave the property and return after folks have finished their viewings.
The departure of an owner encourages buyers to speak more freely about the property, and they won’t feel as if they are visitors.
This is important because you want potential buyers to believe they can turn your property into their own home.
As an experienced agent in our neighborhood, I always work closely with clients to ensure their home is in perfect condition before a viewing.
Preparation is critical in garnering buyer interest and pushing for the best possible price outcome. I’ve created a seven-point guideline to help you get ready for those all-important viewings.
First impressions
Psychologists will tell you that first impressions are the most important, taking milliseconds to form and creating a lens through which everything else is experienced. So, we have to make your home warm and welcoming.
Curb appeal
If you’re selling a house, the property must be appealing from the street. It should have a tidy front yard, with the lawn mown, shrubs trimmed and flowerbeds free of weeds. We don’t want to see peeling paint on the exterior or children’s toys scattered on the grass.
The threshold
Once buyers have crossed the threshold, they should see a clean home. Flowers and fresh fruit on the tables are lovely touches.
Killer clutter
All the chaos of daily life must be tidied away, so there are no magazines scattered, toys left on the carpet, or dirty plates in the sink.
Music, maestro?
We need to make a judgment about whether we play soft music during the viewings. If the neighborhood is super quiet, it may be advantageous for buyers to enjoy the peace. However, music will dissipate outside noise if you’re on a noisy street or under a flight path.
A little touchy
Buyers use the sense of touch to judge the quality of wood cabinetry and countertops and the smoothness of drawers opening. This is a no-no in these Covid days, but wipe everything down before buyers arrive. Dusty shelving and dirt-laden glass is a bad look.
Pet topic
Remove evidence of your pets. Buyers associate animals with all sorts of sins and smells. So, put away the feeding bowl and scratching post, and place the dog kennel at the end of the garden. And, of course, take the dog with your when you leave for each viewing.