How to Avoid Spooking Buyers This Halloween

This Halloween, play it safe with your property sale and leave the scary stuff to the trick-or-treaters.

Here are five ways to avoid spooking buyers in a competitive property market.

Depersonalise Your Property

Buyers can find a home crammed with family possessions a little creepy.

So (and this is not a comment on your personal taste, we’re sure it’s fabulous) remove family photographs, personalised artworks, cards and paperwork from view.

Instead, create a welcoming but neutral space.

Let the Agent Handle Viewings

Despite having good intentions, some property owners can feel like a ghostly presence during viewings.

They linger in the shadows to hear what buyers have to say and sometimes chime in with a sales spiel.

Instead of supporting the sales process, this can actually be unhelpful.

Buyers often prefer viewing a property without the owner present and are more likely to give honest feedback directly to the agent.

So head out for an hour or two and leave viewings to the agent.

Don’t Fall for an Over-Valuation

There are a fair few clowns in the property industry who, unfortunately, aren’t very funny (they’re more like the freaky ones that pop up in Stephen King films).

They deliberately overvalue properties to win instructions, encouraging sellers to ‘test the market’ by listing at an inflated price.

However, this only scares off buyers, who are particularly price sensitive at the moment. (According to Zoopla, homes that need a price reduction are 50% less likely to sell within three months.)

As a result, the property sits on the market for months. The only thing that eventually resurrects the sale is adopting a more realistic pricing strategy.

Maximise Natural Light

Vampires might recoil from daylight, but it’s a different story for homebuyers.

Well-lit homes are more appealing, so maximise available natural light, especially as the nights draw in, by opening shutters and curtains and keeping windows clean.

Banish the Cobwebs

Give the property a deep clean before you commence viewings to ensure there’s no dust, dirt or cobwebs on show.

Other things to banish from view include dirty dishes in the sink, clutter on countertops and wet laundry.

Keep the property spotless while your home is on the market so that you’re prepared if a last-minute viewing comes through. (We know it’s time-consuming, but it really does help.)

For honest, no-nonsense advice on pricing and presenting your home, call us today.