Always be ready for viewings: 6 top tips
Buyers can make a decision about whether to buy a home in a matter of minutes. So, when you’re selling, you’ve got to do all you can to ensure your home makes the best possible first impression.
Although we always try to give sellers reasonable notice, there are times when buyers will want to view your home as soon as possible. That means you might have a very short amount of time to get your home ready before a potentially perfect buyer lands on your doorstep!
The good news is, we’re here to help, as always. Here are 6 top tips for making sure you’re always only a few steps away from being ‘viewing-ready’:
1. Live like the home in your brochure
You’re in a new phase of home ownership – the selling phase – so you might have to make some adjustments as to how you use the space. Store things away where they should be and keep surfaces clear and clean.
Remember that potential buyers have booked a viewing based on what they’ve seen in the brochure, so that’s what they’re expecting to see when they walk through the door. If you can keep your home looking as close as possible to your marketing photos, there’ll be no need to panic when your agent calls. For some extra inspiration, take a look at our October blog,
2. Have some candles on display
Candles are a very simple, yet effective way of creating a welcoming atmosphere and giving an aspirational look to a room. Even if you don’t light them, they make a great table centrepiece – just pop a pillar candle inside a large glass vase and you have a unique ‘storm lantern’. Softly-scented candles in the main reception room and bedroom can also help buyers feel relaxed and emotionally connect with the space.
3. Keep a set of ‘viewing’ towels
Have a clean set of towels put aside that you can swap with your in-use set. Exchange the damp, crumpled ones for dry, fluffy ones – then you can swap them back when the viewing’s over!
4. Check the exterior ‘first impression’ once a week
- Make sure the ‘For Sale’ board is clean, straight and undamaged – ask your agent to replace it if necessary
- Wipe down the front door
- Mow the lawn and check the path to the door is clear and tidy
- Check potted plants are healthy.
5. Keep a few empty boxes to hand
If your children have left stuff on their floor or you’ve got a load of things out on the kitchen counter tops, you can quickly scoop everything into boxes and put them out of sight.
6. Invest in some good-quality air freshener
A quick squirt of some subtly-fragranced air freshener can immediately lift a room, even if you haven’t had time to air it properly.
If you’d like any advice on styling your home for viewings and how you can create the best impression when you have more time to prepare, we’d love to hear from you! Call us directly on 01379 646180 or email [email protected] and one of the team will get right back to you.