Selling Advice
These tips have been collated from the experts to ensure that the potential buyer uses all their senses as they look around, rather than simply their
eyes!
1. Instant smell! Instant sell! Brew up a pot of real coffee just before that door bell rings. As the door is opened, the smell will
be unmissable and send the potential buyer's senses into a whirl!
2. First impressions count! A newly painted front door is a great place to start. You only get one chance to make a first impression.
3. Keep things tidy! Make sure that when your potential buyer walks in that he/she doesn't have to sweep through fast food menus and
junk mail.
4. Open those windows! In summer, natural light can liven a place up and give it a feeling of freshness and
cleanliness. So draw back those curtains and let the light in. If however, you don't have curtains and it's still dark, check your windows. They may
need urgent cleaning. There's always a first time.
5. Make sure that all light bulbs are present and working! Make sure that all the lights are on in the property as it can add that
special appearance to your property. You want the potential buyer to have a 'feel' of the property, not 'feel' their way around.
6. Get damp smells out! Make use of 'plug-ins' or scented candles.
7. Give the place a lived in feeling! In vacant properties, always leave some furniture behind to give the potential buyer an idea
what it would feel like when lived in.
8. Ensure easy access to seating! They say that if a buyer sits down in a property, they're at ease with the place - and is possibly
thinking of putting in an offer. For this reason, make sure there's space round sofas and armchairs so viewers don't have to step over coffee tables
and magazines to get to them.
9. Outside is as important as inside! Peeling paint on a window - or a garden gate hanging off its hinges - suggests that work needs
to be done on the property. This could be used to re-negotiate the price. If you have a garden ensure it is as neat and tidy as the house.
10. Hearths can move hearts! In winter, if you have a fireplace, have a fire blazing. It is amazing the power fire can have.
11. Cover up those patches! To a nervous first-time buyer, a damp stain caused by a minor past leakage suggests an impending flood.
Ensure a fresh coat of paint over the whole wall/ceiling is given as those first impressions really do count.
12. All the time in the world! Some buyers take a couple of minutes to make their minds up about a property, while others need more
time. Therefore let your house do the talking - and don't be in an unnecessary hurry to complete the viewing.
13. Four-legged friends! Remember some people are frightened by over-exuberant cats and dogs. Keep them out of the way until they can
be properly introduced. It's also worth being aware that animal smells may hang around longer than the buyers!