Preparing for a house viewing should not be taken lightly.
According to a recent survey, nearly four in 10 homebuyers will purchase a property after one viewing.
The same survey also found that most buyers take less than 30 minutes to view a property and make a decision.
That doesn’t give you much time.
So it’s essential to make the most of every second a potential buyer is in your property, ensuring you make the best impression to increase your chances of making a sale quickly.
How to prepare for a house viewing is a question we get asked frequently.
It can be a lot of work, but it’s worth it when it leads to a sale.
Here are our top tips for preparing your home for a viewing.
Outside the property
As the old saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression, and ensuring your home has curb appeal is the first step to getting your viewing off to the best possible start.
To prepare the outside of your home for a viewing, the following should be on your list of tasks:
Brush up any debris
This goes without saying but make sure you brush up any rubbish, debris or anything around your property that could make it look messy.
You should look everywhere, from the steps to the front door, to the driveway, ensuring everything is removed.
It’s also a good idea to brush up the path outside your home and even consider the curb directly outside your home.
When a potential buyer arrives, you want the outside of your property to look as clean as possible.
Cut the grass, dig out any weeds, and cut back any bushes
You might not be naturally green-fingered, and the idea of spending time gardening might be your worst nightmare, but now is the time to get interested.
Buyers won’t want to see overly long grass, weeds creeping up or bushes growing out of control.
They’ll just see it as work they’ll have to do rather than seeing the garden as a great place to sit and relax in the summer.
Wash the door and windows
Details matter on a viewing. As much as a buyer might be interested in your home, the slightest thing could be enough to put them off.
Don’t let stains or dirt on your door frames or mirky windows diminish the look of your home.
It doesn’t take long and gives doors and windows a wash, which can make a big difference.
Inside the property
Tidy away your rubbish
Again, this should go without saying, but buyers don’t want to see a living room with clothes strewn around the floor, mugs left out on tables or piles of old papers taking up space.
They’re trying to imagine themselves living in the space, so give them a nice, clean and tidy area where they can see themselves lounging after a long day.
Hoover and wash carpets or steam wooden floors
Carpets and flooring can become worn over time, but you don’t necessarily have to replace them.
Some carpet shampoo or cleaner and a good hoover can bring carpeted areas back to life for a viewing. If you’ve got a wooden floor, a good steam clean will bring out the shine and make the space look more appealing.
It can also help clear out any smells that may be hanging around in the carpet fabric.
Clean the windows and frames
Just as you’ve taken the time to clean the outside of the windows, it’ll be for nothing if dust or dirt is hiding the view outside.
A few sprays of glass cleaner and a quick wipe will bring some sparkle back into the glass and create a more appealing look (and help get more light into the room).
Remove ‘personal touches’
You might love the bright orange feature wall or the lime green lamp shades you’ve added since moving into your property, but potential buyers may not.
When preparing your home for a viewing, it’s important to remember that you need to appeal to as broad a range of buyers as possible, which means removing the personal touches from your home.
It might not be as extreme as bright-coloured walls.
Removing family pictures, ornaments, or similar items lets buyers use their imagination and see where they’d put their possessions when they move in.
Take care of the details
As we’ve said, details matter when preparing a house for a viewing.
There could be little nagging jobs you’ve been meaning to get to, like fixing the squeaky door in the living room or changing the lightbulb in the kitchen.
It would be helpful to list all these small jobs and fix them before a viewing.
Every little thing that comes up on a viewing could put buyers off, or lead to offers coming in lower if they think there’s a lot of work to do when they move in.
On the day
On the big day, you should do a final sweep of your home and ensure you’ve got to everything we’ve already discussed.
There are also a few other things you can do to make the viewing more successful:
Remove pets
If you’ve got someone who can look after your pet on the day of viewing, it’s worth removing them while you’ve got people in.
Having a pet getting under a buyer’s feet or potentially making a mess in between viewings that could also cause a bad smell isn’t ideal – and it’s not worth the risk.
Open the windows and curtains
Get some fresh air into your property and give any lingering smells a last chance to dissipate by opening windows and curtains to let some natural light into your home and show off the rooms.
Do a final tidy up
This is where the tiny details really matter.
Put away any plates, mugs or cups and ensure nothing is lying around that could look untidy.
Make the beds, remove any wash baskets from sight, and neatly fold any towels you’ve got in the bathroom (if they’re older towels, consider getting them out of the house until after your viewings and replace them with newer ones).
What questions could viewers ask?
As well as preparing your home for a viewing, prepare yourself to answer a few questions if you’ll be present.
Potential buyers (particularly those unfamiliar with the area) will benefit from your local knowledge, and what you tell them could help them imagine living in your home.
Are there any nice walks around? Where’s the best local shop? What are the schools like? What’s the neighbourhood like?
This information can help buyers and increase your chances of making a sale.
Just keep in mind that you don’t want to bombard people with information.
Let them take in the property and simply be there as a source of any information they need.
Get professional help to sell your house quickly
If you’re using a professional estate agent like Stapleton Derby to help sell your home, you can use us to help prepare you for your home viewings.
We can give you expert advice based on thousands of viewings of what you can do to improve the appeal of your property and increase your chances of making a sale.
You can always be present at a viewing, or you can give us any relevant information a buyer might need.
Our expert property agents can provide answers and ensure viewers leave your property in the right frame of mind to make an offer.
Want help selling your home quickly for the best price possible?
