Tips for Preparing for House Viewings
If you’ve decided to sell your house to move to a more extensive property, downsize to a smaller property, or move out of the area, you’ll want to get the best price possible to help you with the deposit on your next home. House viewings are an essential part of the process that allows you to show off your home to potential buyers. In this article, we will let you in on some tips that can help you get buyers interested in your home.
Pack items away
Buyers want to be able to view the space and envision their things in the house. By packing away as much of your things as possible, you show potential buyers how much space and potential your home has. Surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom should be free of clutter. Any pet bedding or functional items such as an ironing board or hoover should be packed away. Leave your big furniture in place but position them to make the most of your space. If you’re upsizing due to limited space and have a lot of furniture, you might want to remove chairs or sofas that make the living space appear small. There should be plenty of room to open and close doors freely; viewers should not need to walk around or squeeze past objects or furniture to see the space.
Lighting
Natural light is a common feature buyers look for in a property. Turn on the lights in dimly lit rooms to brighten the area and open up the space. Arrange viewings in the daylight so potential buyers can see everything your house and garden have to offer.
Airflow
Airflow is vital for keeping everyone safe; opening windows for house viewings is recommended after the Covid-19 pandemic to help keep you and your potential buyers safe. In the summer months, airflow is necessary; open up some windows in your house before people come round to view it to allow fresh air into the property. In winter, you might want to put the heating on to keep things nice and warm and keep the windows open for additional ventilation. Again the airflow will make the space feel open and fresh.
Cleaning
Before any potential buyers visit, you should clean your property thoroughly. A foul smell or dirty house could discourage potential buyers and make it harder for them to see past any issues. If you have a dog, you can use a dog urine neutraliser to remove any odours left behind from previous accidents. You might not be able to smell your home's unique scent, but visitors will be able to pick up dog odours and unpleasant smells. Odour removers eliminate the odours instead of masking them with an overpowering scent. Keep any air fresheners you use in your home light and natural to avoid overbearing guests with strong aromas.
Pets
The potential buyers may be allergic or afraid of animals; you want to avoid any negative associations with your property. It could be beneficial if it's possible to remove your pets from the house during viewings to prevent this issue. Take your dog for a walk and let your estate agent take over the viewings, this way, you can be out of the way and avoid any awkward questions. Or, if you want to do the viewings yourself, you could ask a family or friend to have your dog for half an hour or so. If you speak to your estate agent, you might be able to schedule multiple viewings in one day to avoid too much disruption.
Valuable and privacy
When showing people around your home, you may let them have the opportunity to look around on their own. Even if you don’t allow this, you should always carefully lock away any valuable items. These people are strangers visiting your property, and you don’t want to find things missing when they leave. You should also leave all of the doors in your property open; this allows the airflow to travel throughout the house and creates a more relaxed feel. It will also give you better visibility of potential buyers when they are left to browse your property alone.