Well, thank heavens for Private Property. And that’s not something I say lightly. Praising companies isn’t much of a hobby of mine. In fact it’s usually extraordinarily hard to find anything to praise most about. But that’s another story.
Luckily last week Private Property had popped my phone number onto the brochure they sent me for my show day – so I actually looked rather professional when I needed to. Because, as I’ve realized, the rest of my show was a little off-the-cuff. I suppose that’s because I’m not a practiced agent – for want of a better word.
The show day was a success - sort of. I didn’t sell our house, but I did learn a few things. And yes, for the sake of a smooth ride, I’m willing to share.
Have the speech prepared, short, sweet and positive. Don’t try to say too much – they don’t take it all in on arrival. And don’t spill out the price until they ask.
If you’re not an agent, say you’re not, straight up. Between stopping the dog sniffing a visitor and opening the door for another, I omitted to declare my status, and I had to listen for quite some time to what he really wanted (and no, it wasn’t The Other Half telling me about a new putter). It was someone else’s Other Half telling me about his ideal property. By the time I realised that he thought I was an agent, it was almost too late for me to explain. Lesson learnt! When the next people arrived I lost no time introducing myself and assuring them it really was a private sale, and their faces lit up accordingly.
De-pet your home! Don’t just remove the pets, but remove the bowls, the baskets, the chewed toy, the litter tray, and definitely do a poop patrol.
Don’t hang around - they can’t talk if you do – and they really do need to.
Don’t follow them around so you can drop in the bit about the imported taps – it just irritates them.
Do create a list of things you’d like them to know about the property – here’s where you can mention the taps. Pop these assets onto the show day brochure (make sure it’s a colour brochure with one or two pics of your home), because bottom line, it’s not going to be your taps that sell the pozzie (the sale will depend on how they feel about the house) but if they are tempted it might just push them in the right direction.
And, perhaps more important than anything, do get The Other Half to stay with you for that show day afternoon. While it’s always nice to have them out of your hair, it does feel safer having a chap around when you’re letting strangers into your home.
Next up, I’ll have my photo on a rubbish bin!