What to do before house viewings
If you have decided to sell your property, then clearly you need another property to move into. The sensible course of action is to ensure your house is sold first. That means obtaining realistic valuations and building a relationship with an estate agent that you feel best understands you and will invest the time in marketing your property. It isn’t all about getting the highest price, it’s about the right valuation and choosing an estate agent that understands the market and local area including amenities and demographics.
Whether you have decided to list your property, or you are looking to buy one – and usually those two are interchangeable – there is a lot to consider before you allow people to view your house and in turn you to go and view other properties.
Make sure you drive by at different times
Let’s be honest we’ve all done this, sometimes more than once! It may well leave you feeling like a stalker or private detective but driving past the property you want to buy at different times is valuable. It allows you to gain a picture of the road or street at different times of the day in terms of parking, traffic and of course a thorough examination of the exterior of a property. Buying a property is a big investment and that means you should really be considering the curb appeal, guttering, roofing, and the approach to the property itself.
Take a virtual tour
Technology through virtual tours has transformed property marketing and now enables buyers to have exceptional insight into the space in the property. This enables viewings to be far more effective as potential buyers have a greater understanding of whether the property is right before they even set foot in it. If you can take an online virtual walk-through, it can help in planning onsite viewings.
Assess the cost of living
The cost of living is an emotive subject right now, but it has always been an important part of buying a property in London. It’s not just arranging a mortgage and assessing affordability in that regard; it’s considering whether you’ll have additional costs relative to current expenditure such as commuting costs for example. A question that often gets asked by potential buyers is the council tax band and the utility bills. Lots of properties have EPCs that show how energy-efficient building is but it’s still worth finding out what the homeowner currently pays especially if you are upscaling in size of the property.
What about the amenities and local area?
If you’ve done your homework then you have engaged an estate agent who knows everything there is to know that is relevant to any buyer. Questions on local schools, transport links, pubs or restaurants and green spaces are all important. Ultimately yes, a buyer is investing in bricks and mortar, but they are also imagining themselves living there and want to have a sense of the location they will be making their home.
We are proud of our team at Allen Goldstein as they can make house viewings meaningful for potential buyers with their exceptional knowledge of our properties for sale. Their experience enables anyone thinking of selling in the Bloomsbury, Clerkenwell, Camden Town and NW1 area to have the benefit of a team that can sell your property quickly.