Check out our latest magazine... Read Online

Your Guide to Maximising Your Sale

Tuesday, 23 June 2020 09:21

Steaming coffee and the aroma of freshly baked bread does not guarantee a sale, considering that the majority of buyers will view several properties, every little bit counts to help your's fall top of the shortlist.

You have done everything to promote your home and ensure it is well received by potential buyers and will soon be under offer. You have taken time to choose an estate agent, have nice photographs produced, cut the lawn, vacuumed through, tidied up and are eagerly awaiting a viewing.

You have considered conventional agency selling and the alternative approach via web sites and cut price agencies. You feel that you have ticked all the boxes and that all you have to do is follow the tried and tested approach towards a potential purchaser, of a welcoming aroma of fresh coffee brewing and if you are really keen the added touch of freshly baked bread!

Well, that has always been considered the basic requirement to secure a buyer, but there are other basic requirements needed to secure an offer.

Try not to refuse a viewing...

Sometimes a buyer will want to view at a difficult time for your lifestyle, but fit them in if you can. Remember, an appointment is vital to sell your home and the internet is full of alternative homes, so if you make it difficult to find a suitable time, they may give up and view elsewhere.

If you are doing the accompanied viewing yourself ensure that you are ready for the time they are scheduled to visit. Welcome them in and start with a few preliminaries such as “Have you come far”? This establishes whether they know the local area. If they don’t know it then you can tell them a little about what your area has to offer. “Have you been looking long?” is another good question. It helps to gauge their keenness to buy.

As the conversation flows you can move on to their current position regarding the sale of their own home. Try to commiserate/understand the woes of selling and buying and create a bond of shared highs and lows in the process.

Accentuate the positive

Show the potential buyer around the property at a steady pace. You don’t want to bore them with minutiae but you do want to help them make an informed decision. Try to ascertain what type of house they are living in now and what they are looking for. This helps with accentuating the positives and eliminating the negatives.

They may love gardening, so take time showing them the planting, but if they hate gardening mention the large patio for afternoon drinks and the easy to maintain lawn. You need to try, where possible, to make your home fit their criterion but don’t oversell or they will run a mile.

Best of both worlds

The best way is to work together and take the agent’s advice. They can do the doorstep introduction, you can say a few welcoming words and then they can take them around. Any questions that the agent cannot answer you can help with when they have seen everything.

If they look keen, offer a cup of tea or coffee. Make it relatively quickly, make the cup reasonably small (a large hot mug will take forever for everyone to drink); and remember that at this stage you are still a seller so be careful what you discuss or reveal!

Share

More from Home and Gardens

  • Blooming Times: Winter Sparklers

    From designer florists to petrol station forecourts, cyclamen are everywhere at this time of year. They are uniquely different to other flowers – yet have become so ubiquitous, we’re in danger of forgetting how extraordinary they are, says Flo Whitaker

  • Blooming Times: Winter Wonders

    Flowering in the coldest months may seem counter- intuitive, but from a plant’s perspective, there is a distinct advantage – a lack of competition. Flo Whitaker picks six of the best winter- scented shrubs

  • Blooming Times: The Answer Lies in the Soil

    Soil is the gardener’s greatest asset. Understand it, look after it – and many of your horticultural problems will resolve themselves, writes Flo Whitaker

  • How to Cover Up Shabby Garden Walls and Fences

    If your garden fences or walls are looking a bit shabby it might be time to find a cover up solution. Read on for Sara Whatley’s transformation ideas.

  • Homes Extra: Shed Space

    Are you thinking of a new shed, greenhouse or garden room? Sara Whatley gives you some food for thought on all three

  • Gardening: Choose a Clematis for Every Month of the Year

    The clematis family offers flowers in a wide array of colours and shapes, and there are varieties for nearly every month of the year, says Flo Whitaker

  • Blooming Times: Top of the Pots

    How are your patio pots? Show-stopping, or lacklustre? Time to try some different planting combinations, suggests Flo Whitaker

  • Kids Zone: Get the Kids Growing

    Read on for some green fingered ideas to get the kids involved in the garden from Sara Whatley

  • Blooming Times: Wisteria Hysteria

    With its exquisitely fragrant, show-stopping blooms, wisteria is the queen of spring climbers – yet it can be frustratingly sulky and thuggish. Flo Whitaker offers a quick troubleshooting guide to floral success

  • Blooming Times: Dahlia Mania

    Inexpensive, hardworking plants with blooms in a vast array of colours and shapes - no flower is perfect, but dahlias come pretty close, says Flo Whitaker

  • How to Create 3D Walls in Your Home

    Create walls that look incredible and feel amazing too with the use of 3D wall panels. Sara Whatley looks at this feature wall phenomenon.

  • Blooming Times: Spring Fever

    February is often labelled the cruellest month in the horticultural calendar. However, Flo Whitaker suggests there is still plenty of opportunity for growth

  • Blooming Times: What's in a Name?

    Botanical Latin may seem daunting, but it’s designed to be helpful and informative, says Flo Whitaker

  • Top 10 Garden Birds to Spot on the Isle of Wight

    Alice Johnson from the RSPB describes some of the species of birds you might see during the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch this January.

  • The Best Christmas Gifts for Gardeners

    Thinking about a Christmas present for a gardening friend? Or perhaps you’re anticipating a gardening gift voucher and fancy treating yourself? Flo Whitaker suggests some essential hand tools that won’t break the bank.

  • Gardening: The Benefits of Hedges

    Gardeners are a flower-obsessed lot, greedily seeking out the latest, brightest blooms. That’s all very well, but ephemeral flowers need a stage to perform on. Plant a hedge - they add structure, benefit wildlife and look good all year round.

  • How to Create a Happy Home Workspace

    Getting the right home office set up can be key to productivity and happiness. Sara Whatley shares her workspace ideas.

  • Now's the Time to Plant Alliums for a Spectacular Display Next Year

    Easy-going and beloved by bees – now’s the perfect time to plant allium bulbs for a spectacular display next year. Flo Whitaker picks some of her favourites...

  • Gardening Facts or Fictions?!

    The horticultural world abounds with bad advice and old wife’s tales, but some pronouncements are scientifically sound, says Flo Whitaker, as she asks, “True, or false?”

  • Fill The Gaps in Your Garden With Stunning Shrubs

    If your garden’s looking parched and bare, why not invest in a few shrubs to fill the gaps. Flo Whitaker picks six of the best for late summer colour.

Get Social

© Beacon Magazine Isle of Wight and Aiir 2024 | 8-10 Dodnor Park, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 5XE