You never get a second chance at a first impression
A large percentage of people that buy houses have fallen in love with the house after seeing just one or two rooms and often refer to the ‘feel ‘ of the house as the reason they love it. Viewers often make the decision to purchase their next home within the first few minutes of seeing it and that is why the initial impression you make is vital when you want to sell your home.
Preparation is key to creating the best first impression, but there is a bit more to it than a fresh pot of coffee or bread baking in the over, here are my 3 best tips that will help make your home stand out from the rest.
Parking- This is nice and easy, make sure your viewer can park no matter how big their car is. If your house has a 2 car drive ensure there is space for at least one car, clear the drive if you can. There is nothing worse than pulling up to view a house and not knowing where to park, your viewer will already be thinking ‘where will my visitors park?’ and there is a good chance your viewing will be off to a bad start before they have even got out of their car. Clear the space and if you have on street parking it is worth mentioning to your neighbours you are expecting an important visitor a few hours before they arrive too, you can mention it in relation to parking, but it might also have the added benefit that they don’t make nose at the time of the viewing.
Front Door- The front door is normally the first place a viewer will stop when they view a house and is their first opportunity to look around. Externally they might be looking at the front garden, the windows and guttering so these are the areas you should ensure look their absolute best. Some seasonal flowers in the front garden, cleaning the windows, a brush of the pathways and cleaning the gutters should all be jobs you consider doing before putting your house on the market and revisit on a regular basis when your property is for sale.
An easy test is to get a friend or relative to approach your house and critique it for you, as the owner of the house you walk through your front door every day and so you might not even notice the issues that are likely to put off a potential purchaser. A pet hate of mine is blown window units and it is certain to put off some potential viewers if a window on the front of your house is blown, it gets your viewer thinking they need to replace the windows before they have even stepped inside. A new name or number plate always looks the part along with a working bell and by answering the door promptly your viewer won’t be left looking for faults for longer than is necessary.
Have a viewing plan- DO NOT start your viewing by showing somebody your downstairs loo. It is not a feature you want to start with as nobody has ever bought a house because of a downstairs Wc. The right feel a potential purchaser gets is created by wowing them in the first few minutes so every second is vital and shouldn’t be wasted on less significant rooms. A viewing plan involves starting and finishing with big selling points, the obvious option to start is the lounge, but if you are selling a house with a stunning open plan kitchen, perhaps walk down the hall and show them that first, it does of course all depend on the layout of the house you are showing off. You can pop your head into the downstairs Wc before you go upstairs and then show the biggest bedroom first or last depending on flow with the smaller bedrooms inbetween, again you don’t want to finish in the box room and leave your viewers wondering if they could get a bed and wardrobe in the smallest bedroom as they leave the house. I normally show the rear garden at the end of the viewing, it often gives the viewers another chance to see the ground floor and also has the added benefit that viewers aren’t walking upstairs with potentially muddy shoes. Another element to your viewing plan is family and pets, make sure they aren’t in the house and any evidence of pets is removed too, you don’t want to put someone off the house if they are allergic to cats and see the litter tray for example.
Creating the right first impression isn’t just about these three points, but if you adhere to these basics you will be on the right tracks and if you aren’t confident showing people round your house you can ask your local estate agent to do it on your behalf. Click here for pricing details.
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Mark Worrall
COO love2move
