selin your home

[cleo1]

I am selling my property and want a very quick sale, does anybody have any suggestions on how to get viewings, and what techniques to use when showing prospective buyers around my home?

[lady_p_gold]

A lot of selling is psychology. Make sure you listen to what your viewers are telling you i.e. if they have young children mention other children nearby or good schools. Tell them you have been happy there, try to get a handle on what their needs are. If you want a quick sale you could say that you know you should be asking a lot more and it is a bargain at that price but that you are willing to move quickly. Be friendly and try to think of something good to say about each room as you go round i.e 'oh this room really gets the sun in the morning' etc.

[rugeleyboy]

around by us our estate agents have a list of "potential" buyers....... people who are always looking for the next property or people who have left thier details of a property ideally suited to them. so really i would of thought choosing the right estate agent would be the best??

also................... i brought one 2 weeks ago because the agent rang me and said the seller had knocked off 10k...... so me and the wife went and bought it???

i hope that helps?

[Postdog]

An estate agent suggested to me (I'm putting mine on the market soon) to do simple little cosmetics (wash down, tidy, clear the junk, redecorate in neutral colours where necessary) and bung in plug in's to make it smell nice.

Personally, I would also suggest you did not convey that you want a quick sale as buyers are likely to beat you down on price. OK, they'll probably try anyway but they might take liberties if they know it's urgent.

[parkesquay]

We have moved some 5 times in the last 4 years - the 5th being in 2 weeks time. None of our places have been on the market for more than a few weeks before we had buyers , in fact our present place was only on for a week. I feel therefore that I have established some street cred regarding selling.
Housewise it is essential to declutter and depersonalise as much as possible. Sound like Anne Maurice don't I but it is the only way to go. Despite the fact that some people, myself included ,don't mind viewing a messy house that needs attention and some DIY, it is a fact that the vast majority of viewers can't get past the initial impact. In short your house has to be in the best condition you can make it.
For example show a bedroom as a bedroom - don't try selling it as a dining roomYou may not do this but some people do).
Use some smellies to get rid of pet smells. A pack of dogs or rabbits charging around will immediately make a prospective purchaser think of the future expense of having to change all the carpeting. Bathrooms and toilets that gleam are a must although contrary to some telly programs I think it is a no-no to have raised toilet seats. Keep it simple and keep it clean.
Getting viewings is subjective but the fact that you asked makes me think that you are not using an estate agent!!
I won't write any more at the moment until I know the answer to this.

[pingping]

i am in the process of both buying my next place and selling my current flat. we did everything possible to 'stage' our flat so that no matter who walked through the door, they could immediately see the purpose of each room (as parkesquay says - if it's a bedroom - put a bed in it). the flat was clean and tidy throughout as well. we received an asking price offer on it within 50 minutes of it going on the market - so staging really does work. amazingly another flat in my complex is also on the market and is being marketed as a 1 or 2 bed-roomed property (they'd turned the second bedroom into a dining room) - funnily enough, this one's still on the market!

as a buyer (i do have the ability to look past clutter and decor) i have been to houses that have been disgusting inside - haven't seen a hoover in months, and no effort had been made to tidy or 'stage' a room. it meant that while i could appreciate what the house COULD look like, it put me right off it.
for selling tips: lay the dining table out as if for a dinner party and let buyers know how much fun you've had having parties there. tell them about nice neighbours, proximity to schools, transport, shops, nightlife etc anything that you would like to know if you were buying it. let them know if anything is fairly new (e.g new kitchen, bathroom, carpets, bolier etc)
good luck

[VannaB]

Hi
I put my flat on the market and had sold it within a week and a half to the first woman who came to see it. I kept the decor plain-magnolia walls and laminate flooring, decluttered and put fresh flowers out. Plug-ins of vanilla made the flat smell nice and everywhere was spotless. Also made sure heating was on so nice and snug.

It is suggested you leave the person to browse but I couldn't help myself and showed her all the new stuff I'd had done (new kitchen with integrated appliances), boiler etc and how long their guarantees were, how cheap it is to run etc. She said she loved the decor and was very interested and put in her offer before her 2nd visit!

On the 2nd visit she bought friends to view too and I offered to introduce her to the neighbours upstairs-they got on like a house on fire (phew). This is a good idea if your buyer seems interested and you do have nice neighbours as they are something people do worry about!.

So keep it tidy, clean and smelling nice. De clutter-mess and tattiness do put a lot of people off (me included)-I bought one house out of a choice of 2 identical ones in the same road simply because the 2nd house didn't have chipped floorboards and a greasy oven!

Good luck!