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Residential Open House Day london Blog

Get your property ready for viewings

Q3 2016

For those planning on visiting one of our properties - or just taking inspiration from our Open House Day (Oct 8) - we take a look how to get your home ready for viewings and what to look out for during an open house.

What to look for during a viewing

Attending an open house - or even just a viewing - can be overwhelming as emotions run wild. Many people make their minds up before even stepping foot inside the home. But to make sure you make the right decision, you need to arrive at any potential property with a level head and a lot of questions.

First and foremost, when approaching a new property you need to be objective. Whether you’re looking for a penthouse apartment to rent or are buying a countryside getaway, it’s worth remembering that it’s not yours just yet. Come with a slightly cynical mind – question everything. If you still want to make an offer after all that then you’ll do so with peace of mind.

Once you’re in the property, don’t feel pressured to rush through. Take your time and make sure you’re happy with what you see. You might be spending hundreds of thousands of pounds – if not more - on this home, or being asked to put down large rental deposits, so make sure you’ve got the right one.

Ask the agent or property owner if it’s ok to move furniture around and look behind things. This can help you spot hidden problems like damp patches, creaky floorboards, peeling wallpaper and loose wiring.

It’s also worth visiting the property during both the morning and afternoon to see how the light changes. If you can’t arrange a visit at another time, a good trick is to try shutting the curtains in one window in a room to see what impact it has.

And don’t forget to ask lots of questions, especially about additional costs. Are there any service charges? Who looks after communal spaces? How fast is the broadband? What are the neighbours like? If you’re looking to rent, ask what’s included in the price – they might say bills, but does this cover just gas and electricity, or water, council tax and services charges as well?

Getting your home ready for an open day

Opening your home to scrutiny can be testing at the best of times. So when a potential deal is on the line, things can get tense. But it doesn’t have to be – a bit of preparation to make sure your house is looking at its best will help settle your nerves and hopefully help you find the right person to take over your property.

Before you open your home for a viewing - whether for a one-off prospective buyer or as part of our Open House Day – do your homework. You’ll have agreed a price with your agent, but speak with them about how set that price is to make sure you’re all on the same page.

Staging your home for a viewing is also important so find out what kind of potential buyer or tenant will be coming to see it. Do you need to change the office into a spare bedroom so it appeals to families? Does the playroom need to be more like a man cave for young professionals? Is the home more likely to appeal to stylish retirees or young couples?

If you’ve got a mix of viewers coming, opt for a neutral scheme with limited furniture. If your agent is convinced that it’ll attract a specific audience, it might be worth redecorating certain rooms to target them.

Focus your efforts on the front garden and hallway, along with the first room they will see on entrance. Many people make up their mind about a property within seconds of entering so these areas could be the only bits they see before they decide.

Ask your agent to point out any issues they see in the home that might need fixing. Sometimes we don’t notice such problems or forget that the kitchen door doesn’t shut properly. Get a handyman to fix loose floorboards, peeling paint and windows that don’t open.

Once all this has been done and you’re happy with the staging, get a professional cleaner. For a small cost, you can transform your tidy home into show home quality.

If you’re hosting an open house, let people know. While the agents will be using their contacts, you can also advertise on social media, local websites and even in your neighbourhood cafe. You won’t necessarily want your home full of gawkers who have no intention of buying, but adding a few more people to the mix could put pressure on actual buyers to move fast.

And finally, don’t hang around. Having the owner standing over buyers’ shoulder can put them off. Disappear into the background or even down the pub and let them explore by themselves.

Benefits of the Open House

Our National Open House Days generate plenty of interest and millions of pounds worth of sales across the country. And if you’re thinking of moving from London to the countryside, they’re a great way to see a number of properties at once. Whether you’re a buyer or seller there are so many reasons to get involved. And here are just a few…

One of the big reasons why hosting an open house is so successful is that they benefit both the buyers and seller, mainly due to the convenience it offers both parties. Instead of having set 15 minute periods in which you’re guided round a home, buyers get more freedom to explore in their own time.

In London, where homes sell quickly, it can be hard to judge overall demand if you get an offer from the first person who views it. By holding an open house, you can bring in a number of buyers or renters at once.

For buyers looking to move out of London, or buy a second home in the countryside, it can be a long drive for just a single viewing. So National Open House Day isa great way to make a day of it. Visiting a number of properties at once can give you a great feel for the area as you stop off for lunch, drive round the local roads and talk to people about the benefits of the neighbourhood.

Our Open House Days also help create a buzz in certain areas where a number of properties are taking part. Last year, this buzz led to 88 offers, totalling over £62 million. Over 1,100 active viewers took part in the event, and as a result of the day, 32 properties went under offer.

The days are so popular thanks, in part, to the behind the scenes work that goes on at Strutt & Parker. This includes national advertising in the likes of The Telegraph online and on Rightmove, as well as agents contacting potential buyers in your area. We also have our own dedicated National Open House Day search on our website, which attracts over 60,000 visitors weekly.

It’s easy to get involved. Simply contact your local office or register online here. Once the viewings have taken place, we'll follow up with everyone who's viewed your house to get feedback, and hopefully, receive an offer