5 Mistakes Not to Make When Showing Your Home to Buyers

July 1st, 2022

So your Estate Agent has asked if you will handle some viewings- now what? Giving a potential buyer a tour of your home can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming and really awkward.

When your house hits the market and viewers start to come into your home, the whole experience can take its toll on you mentally. It’s never easy having strangers walk through your home, pick things apart and rummage through your cupboards and drawers and then ask you: “How much do you want for it?”

As challenging as it may be though, here are the five things you should NEVER do when showing your home to potential buyers:

1. Leaving Personal Hygiene Items Out

Store all personal items out of sight. Some homeowners will leave toothbrushes, razors, trimmers and shampoo out in their bathrooms but this can make a buyer feel uncomfortable while walking through your home. These are intimate items after all and sometimes they’re not pleasing to the eye, so put them out of sight.

2. Leaving Valuable Items Out in Plain Sight

Valuable possessions should always be hidden away. Never give buyers the impression you are affluent as they may try to use this and negotiate a better deal for themselves if they think you can afford to make concessions, potentially leaving you worse off. You also have complete strangers walking through your home who you don’t know and will probably never see again, so it’s best to lock anything valuable away just to be on the safe side.

3. Allowing Controversial Items to Be Seen

Not everyone will share your political views or lifestyle choices so if you have fridge magnets, posters or magazines that could have viewers talking for all the wrong reasons, get rid of them. For example, if you’re a taxidermy collector, or have real animal skins and fur around your home, put these away until the viewers have left. The last thing you want to do is send viewers straight for the front door as soon as they’ve walked in.

4. Cluttered Up Closets

As invasive as it sounds, potential buyers will always open up cupboards and closets while viewing a house- storage can be a big selling point after all. So, if you’ve shoved all your clutter in them with the aim of hiding it, you can give off the impression your home lacks storage. Plus, it just doesn’t look good.

5. Get Emotional

You may have lived in your home for a number of years and it’s understandable that you’re attached to it and all the memories that come with it. However, when your home hits the market, you need to get out of ‘homeowner mode’ and become more business-minded.

Always remember that everyone has their own taste in decor, so if a viewer makes a criticism about something in your home, please don’t get emotional or defensive. Remember, you’re a businessperson now.

Staging a home for sale is hugely important. If you’re unsure about how you should present your home to a potential buyer then please ask your Estate Agent for advice before listing your home for sale.

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