By using ViewToOffer.com, you have already narrowed your prospective buyers / tenants search. They have confirmed their appointment with you and are on their way to view your property. The curtain is about to be raised and it’s SHOWTIME!!… But wait… have you done everything to achieve a successful sale.

Remember Murphy’s Law – ‘Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong’. Your job is to ensure that this does not come to pass. Instead, you should be striving for ‘everything went well…’

This is an important task because you may not have the luxury of a second chance to correct a negative first impression. Buyers / Tenants will form an opinion of your house in the first few seconds of their visit and they will incline to reinforce their opinion as they continue to view the house.

Your house should not only be in the finest possible condition just before the viewing, but should remain that way until it is sold or tenanted. It’s always possible that a last minute viewing by a prospective buyer / tenant will end up as a deal.

1. Empathizing with buyers / tenants

The key to buyers’ / tenants’ heart is empathy. What you perceive does not matter. It is what the buyers / tenants feel that counts. They determine the sale / lease of your house. Looking at your house through their eyes will help you be more objective in determining what needs to be done to get a first good impression.

Do note that while buyers / tenants evaluate logically, they buy or rent emotionally. Ultimately, it is not just the logical justification for the investment, but the ability to see they living in the house that will lead to a buying or renting decision. Buyers / Tenants should have a 'good to be home’ feeling when they enter your house.

2. Help buyers / tenants come to a decision

It would be a good idea, for example to remove any big objects from your doorsteps to give buyers / tenants a clear view of your house. This will facilitate their external evaluation of your property.

Providing maps will help buyers / tenants find their way and familiarize themselves with the neighborhood. By using Virtual Property Movie (VPM) services, your buyers / tenants can have unlimited viewings of the property online. This will definitely help them make a better buying or renting decision.

For property selling, other useful information to prepare includes property tax statements, utility bills, and warranties, records of additions and alterations as well as maintenance and upkeep of the house. An inventory of what is included and excluded in the sale, plus a fact sheet about your house and the developer’s brochures would be useful too. Organize all the information neatly into a folder and make it available to buyers.

Keeping pets and children away during showtime would further aid you in the process of selling or renting your house. This will ensure that buyers / tenants are not distracted by the presence of barking dogs or noisy children.

3. Importance of a positive ambience

Your home should also have a positive feel about it. Buyers / Tenants should be greeted by a welcoming ambience. Do not litter workbenches with tolls. Leave dirty dishes in the basin or wash the laundry during viewings as these may evoke negative feelings. In addition, replace cracked titles; rusty pipes and tuck away loose wiring to ensure there are no potential safety hazards.

It is important to appeal to all the senses when selling or renting your house. Enhance the buyers’ / tenants’ mood by cooling your house and providing soothing background music. Even the smell of the house should be pleasant and refreshing. To appeal to their visual senses, display decorative lightings and beautiful pictures in addition to waxing the floor and polishing metal finishes.

4. Stand out from the crowd

When you market your house in a highly competitive market, do not make the mistake of being a frog in the well. A typical buyer / tenant will see more then ten houses before making a decision and these days they are certainly spoilt for choices. Make a point to study open houses and show flats, plus interior decoration magazines and other publications. There are lessons that you can learn to help you improve your house and enjoy better returns.

As you are preparing for your house, be guided by the principle that every part of the house must tell a story of benefits. More importantly, look out for the negative elements and remove them. Buyers /Tenants tend to be skeptical when viewing houses and if they find something amiss, they are inclined to think that there will be more things wrong with it.

5. Develop a checklist

Once you have gathered the ideas, develop a checklist and prioritize what needs to be done. Begin preparing your house from the outside. This is important because many a sale or lease has been lost even before the buyer stepped into the house. The curb appeal, in other words, the external facade of the house sets the tone of the viewing.

For property selling, you may want to involve every family member in the preparation and maintenance of your house during the sale. Place the checklist in a prominent place and assign them various tasks. This could include making the beds, keeping rooms tidy and organizing the bookshelves. Prior to every viewing, check to ensure your house is ready and that nothing is compromised. If the house is not ready, request for time to dress up the house.

IT IS BETTER TO LOSE SOME TIME THAN TO LOSE A POTENTIAL SALE.

When you dress your house correctly and continue to improve upon it, there is no reason why
SUCCESS WILL NOT COME KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR!