Showing off

Being the perfect host

Making a buyer feel at their ease in your home can be as important to landing the deal as the décor of your home.

DO:
Tell them things that an agent could not put on the schedules, such as, "The neighbours are really nice, quiet, friendly people", or "The children are getting on so well at the local school". This will give the prospective buyers a personal feel of what it would be like to live in your home.

Spend more time in the good rooms. These are usually the lounge, kitchen or main bedroom. Always try and end the tour in your best room, as that will leave the lasting impression.

Allow you guests to walk around on their own. Would you like to feel that you were being herded around? Give people some space, it will pay off in the long run.

DON'T:
State the obvious, such as, "this is the lounge". Try and be descriptive, explain some of the finer points of the garden or the local area instead.

Go into small rooms with your prospective buyers. This will make the rooms appear to be much smaller than they actually are.

Finally, don't get your hopes up as your guests leave. Most people will try and say something nice when they leave even if your home is completely inappropriate for their needs. You need to be a very confident person to ask the prospective buyers if they are going to make an offer or not. In almost every case it's better to say nothing than try and put people under pressure.