When people come to view the house i am selling, do i briefly show them round and then naff off so they can look for themselves, or does that just mean they might look under the rug and find the mouldy patch in the bathroom, or run off with my valuables??? Should i stay with them... do i offer them tea, or show them round and out as quickly as possible?? Am i allowed to lie about what a nice area this is or do i tell them about the ASBO hoodies.... What do you think??
2007-02-01 22:44:28 · 20 answers · asked by Stephen C 2 in Business & Finance ➔ Renting & Real Estate
Show them round and then let them have a look around themselves if they wish. If they are serious about buying then a bit of mould etc wont put them off. Better they see what they want before they agree a sale and then back out if they discover something they dont like later on. Lock valuables away if possible. Answer questions as truthfully as possible. Highlight good points and be vague / play down negative points. If there are ASBO hoodies in the area, they'll probably know about them anyway. They will have to pay much more to live in an area without them.
I'm thinking of selling too but worried about my neighbours dog which runs out the front door and barks/snaps at people that come to my door. Also they hang their clothes over the railings like gypsies and shag loudly at any time of the day or night - enough to put anyone off other than a potential landlord who will rent the house out to similar scumbags !
2007-02-01 22:53:31 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Don't let them out your site! Hide all valuables and don't tell them too much on any bad points of the house. They'll think you're and honest person by tell them 1 or 2 things that are wrong with the house like there's a slight mark on the carpet - but it can easliy be hidden by a rug, or this wall is pure concrete so you it's difficult to hang things up on it, keep it to a minimum!! Don't tell them about the ASBO's but don't say it's really quiet either, just say it's 'busy' and there are lot's of children about.
Word your answers right! It may not be the total truth, but it's not a total lie either.
First things is ask where they're from and do they know the area well? That way you know what you can and can't say about the area.
2007-02-01 23:00:53 · answer #2 · answered by ~Kitana~ 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I'm both selling and looking right now. My experience is you need to get out of the house when they are there.
When looking at a house, one wants to open the closets, cabinets, and look for all the flaws. And you want to have conversations about what is bad and how to fix it. You cannot do this with the proud owner standing there.
When potential buyers come over, I walk outside and tell them to come get me when they're ready or if they have any questions. All valuables are in my car trunk during a showing. I'm not worried about what they might find, as my house was ready for sale - everything has been fixed and polished.
While looking, twice I've had to ask the present owner to leave so that we could discuss what was wrong with the home. In one instance, the person left. In the other, the person just moved a few feet and stood. We walked out of that house and didn't think twice about it. The owner destroyed any chance of a sale by not allowing us to discuss what we needed to discuss while we were evaluating the home.
If you show them around, it will be them looking at your house. They don't want to buy your house, they want to by their house. Leave them be!
2007-02-02 00:05:06 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
No, and I gather that your selling this home yourself. If you had a Realtor that Realtor would stay with the party, viewing all appropriate areas of your home, letting them take there time but always keeping them on track, the potential buyer does not need to be distracted, this is a business deal not a social gathering or tea party. Remember there are thieves, and thieves make there living any way they can, so yes, seeing the house for sale by owner is high on the priority list of these crafty people so don't let them alone, have some one else in the background also.
good Luck.
2007-02-01 22:55:51 · answer #4 · answered by Conrey 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Leave them alone, if you hover you'll never sell, because they won't hang around long enough to make thier minds up. Put all your valuables away if you're worried they will be nicked. Do something about the mouldy patch in the bathroom if you think it will put them off, and as for the area, it's caveat emptor in the house selling game, so volunteer nothing, but answer questions honestly. If you lie - for example if they ask if you've ever had a dispute with a neighbour, and you say "no" and they subsequently discover this to be untrue, they can sue.
So, let them do their own homework, volunteer nothing, never lie outright and remember that "sorry - I don't know" is a perfectly fair answer.
Ilovekeylimepie is under the impression that only couples buy houses - what kind of world does she live in ?
2007-02-02 04:11:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
We are selling our house at the moment and we have had loads of viewing already. You can usually judge yourself on what you are going to do when the potential buyers come through your door, some can be really creepy.
Usually I let them in and show them around the house and talk them through what is each room, how nice and warm it can be or how nice the view is...etc Then when we get back to where we started I offer them to look around the house by themselves and get a feel for the place. If they take this offer up I let them have look around and then I ask them if they have any questions for me, then I try and answer as best as possible.
Try and show off your house as much as you can and make sure you get your story straight about why you want to move and dont' change it. We have awful neighbour and thats why we want to leave but we are telling people that due to family circumstances we have to be closer to them.
good luck
xxxxxxx
2007-02-01 22:52:22 · answer #6 · answered by smudge 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
How are you qualifying these people? I'm assuming that you are trying to sell the house on your own, because if you have an agent they should be there whenever the house is shown.
How do you know whether ther person is just casing the joint or really interested? They should have some sort of prequalification and you should have a copy of their ID.
2007-02-04 11:03:52 · answer #7 · answered by Pugsly 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Be completely honest with the people about your house. If you have some mold under the rug you need to deal with it and fix it before someone comes through. allow them a little freedom to wonder on their own. This alone means they are considering it. If you stay with them constantly, they will come away with a bad taste in they're crawl. I've been there many times myself and I've bought many investment homes.
2007-02-01 22:59:04 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'd walk them round yourself. You will get a 'feel' about them and will probably know if you want them to wander round on their own. If the same people come back for a second viewing I would let them go round on their own but not really on a first viewing. No way would I offer them a drink or anything! I'd be polite and helpful but not appear over friendly as they might wonder why you are so keen!
2007-02-01 22:53:39 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
You should be wary of letting them wander around on their own, their are some dodgy people about. Walk with them, but don't talk and point everything out, let them look but keep an eye on them.
Keep any unsavoury details to yourself, do you want to sell the house or not?
2007-02-01 22:49:58 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋