It’s not unheard of for homes to be sold without the buyer visiting but it is rare. The point of advertising your home for sale is not so much to sell it on the web or in a window but to get potential buyers to arrive at your door and make them go “WOW, I really want this home”.
Make your house look its best
When you sell, you first visitor should be the agent who will be helping you with the sale. Make sure you have enough time to prepare your home for the photographic work they want to do. There is a limit to amount of editing an agent can do, changing grey skies to blue yes – but no amount of editing will remove that pile of dirty washing up or put away the laundry! De-cluttering really helps when it comes to photos, you can always put things away in boxes ready for your new home when you sell.
Cut the grass and tidy up
The second set of visitors are the potential buyers themselves. Normally your agent will be able to give at least a day’s notice and often more than that but there are times when they get a request for the same day or even within a couple of hours. Make sure your home is clean and tidy ready for the visit and don’t forget the garden – grass cut and all looking good. As an agent, I frequently hear during my after visit chat with the buyers, “Could be nice but what a tip, they don’t care do they”, and buyers find this off-putting. They think, if your house isn’t tidy, then what else is wrong with it? Don’t give potential buyers any chance of thinking negative thoughts.
Put the dog out!
So, the house is looking great and the garden is a riot of colour, the doorbell rings – the visitors have arrived. If you have a dog, put it outside even if it’s friendly. Not everyone loves animals and you want to make the first impression as good as you can.
Freshen up
There is a theory that the smell of freshly baked bread or cake and brewing coffee will enhance the viewing. I’ve no doubt it will but the smell of burnt bread or cheap coffee won’t! Without sounding like an advert, Febreeze works not by covering unwanted smells but removing them (yes, proven) and leaving a fresh smell in the house. Personally I’m all for opening doors and windows for fresh air but there are times in the year when, in the agricultural parts of France, they’re best left closed!
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me via the The Good Life France
By Tim Sage, property expert and northern France local agent at Leggett Immobillier
