PPrrooppeerrttyy:: TToo vviieeww oorr nnoott ttoo vviieeww??

Very often when customers put their property on the market or register on the mailing list we are asked: ‘’Is it appropriate to go and view other properties now my own house is on the market or should I wait?’’ There are two sides to this: TO VIEW:

The 1st being that by getting out & viewing properties you are at the advantage because you can put together a shortlist of ‘potentials’, know what your money will buy, start to rule out unsuitable locations/properties, establish the upward chain position of the ones you like/which ones can move fast etc & your are more prepared to proceed swiftly if you get a buyer with a strict/prompt timescale desire. Plus you will come across to potential buyers of your own property as a much more motivated seller. Seriously interested viewers may try to establish on the viewing how motivated you are by asking if you have somewhere to go ready or what your plans are for moving on – they will judge your reaction to determine how motivated you are and how accommodating you are likely to be for a swift transaction. It shows you are motivated seller & doesn’t put them off that you aren’t serious or in a hurry – which they might be!

The dis-advantages of viewing before being ‘ready to buy’ are you could get attached to a property only to find out it sells before you do, and then often nothing else compares to that one & your further search becomes harder. So don’t let yourself get emotionally attached to one property. Another dis-advantage is feeling like you have wasted your time and the other property owners time viewing properties when you aren’t in a position to offer & proceed or which might not still be available when you are. A risk you take?

Further dis-advantage of this is that some sellers are apprehensive in accepting unproceedable viewers. May buyers who are refused an appointment as they aren’t in a position to proceed are offended by the seller not letting them look. Don’t be offended – it doesn’t mean the seller is necessarily any less motivated, it could be they lead a very busy life & are pushed for time. We have several very motivated sellers who would move out at the drop of a hat if a buyer wished, who give us those very instructions regarding proceedable only viewers. Some sellers on the other hand wouldn’t care if you are in a position to proceed or not & would be grateful of the interest & feedback – so that they know if their property & it’s marketing are in the right direction or if there is anything else they should do to improve their chance of getting a sale and in turn make them feel more confident to go out & view themselves. NOT TO VIEW:

The main advantage being that you don’t get attached to one property and can’t be disappointed when it sells. The other being that you don’t waste time looking at properties that might not even still be available when you are in a position to buy.

The main dis-advantage is that you are less prepared with your onward move search so when you do actually get an offer on your own property you then feel under pressure to hurry to find a suitable property to keep your buyer happy, can’t then find anything suitable and are left in a dilemma or even end up buying a property in haste which isn’t right and then regretting it.

A big disadvantage too is that to some buyers who come & view your property, you may come over unmotivated or that you wouldn’t accommodate a quick timescale, because you come over to them as though you haven’t taken your property search /move seriously – which could put them off your property if they are motivated! Sometimes there is nothing worse or more off putting than telling a serious buyer on your property that you haven’t even started looking!

My advice if you do not wish to view properties would be to at least register with agents & have a shortlist of potentials ready for when you do get an offer on your own property so that you feel less pressurised in your initial search & shortlist process. Plus if a buyer viewing your property asks you will them also be able to show that you are a motivated seller still by advising them that you have a shortlist of suitable properties ready to view the moment you get an acceptable offer on your own.

As a seller you will know how it feels to have viewings that are unproceedable & feel like a waste of time, but at the same time you will also understand that by not getting viewings you aren’t getting as much constructive feedback. Some sellers would be grateful for any viewing and any feedback. Others just want people who are serious & ready to go. There is no right or wrong answer. Every buyer & seller has different opinions on what is right for them. For any further information or advice please do not hesitate to contact us. Tel: 01406 359131

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