It’s the weekend and I’ve been up since the crack of dawn packing my car with all sorts of gorgeous accessories, collecting fresh flowers, buying fruit and making sure every item on my long list is present and correct. Working on a Saturday or Sunday is something of an occupational hazard for me as that’s when most of my clients tend to be ‘at home’.

I love everything to do with Interiors and Design but my passion is really for ‘Property’; marketing, styling, selling and (when it’s called for) finding!

I’ve specialised in Property Marketing, you may know it as Home-Staging (but with a strategic twist) for years now and the thrill of achieving a great result for my clients is still unbeatable. Whether they’ve a property just going onto the market, a home they’ve been unable to sell for a while or a house they moved into but never really settled in, the starting principle is the same, a good poke around and a proper ‘fact-find’.

Today’s styling project is the culmination of a good few weeks of hard graft. 

The house is a substantial 5 bed (Victorian) period property in Bath.  It has been their happy, family home for approximately 25 years. Although their children have long since moved into homes of their own, it’s a big wrench for the owners to consider leaving the house behind. Ideally, they’d like to downsize, put a bit of money in the bank, move further out into the country, perhaps embark on a small renovation project and enjoy an early, well-earned retirement.

Our first meeting at their property was for me to appraise the house by analysing the property through the eyes of a buyer, find out their objectives, talk through strategies for attracting their target market and give them a winning edge over similar properties for sale. A great deal of our time was spent discussing Estate Agents; those considered suitable to sell the property and the price range my clients felt would be acceptable to them.

I took copious notes for the follow-up report and numerous photos as a reference for styling and staging. As it had been their home for a long time, they had, like all of us, built up a collection of ‘family treasures’ and found themselves custodians of larger objects like ski’s, framed posters, boxes of clothes, books and bits of furniture the kids still wanted but had “no room to store” in their own houses! They were also concerned about the decoration in some of the rooms, did they need to paint, re-carpet, dress the windows, fit a new bathroom or de-clutter?

As with many period properties the house had a few quirks and foibles but was essentially a well cared for, comfortable, elegant home. I’d spotted one or two (essential) minor upgrades on my initial look around but the majority of work was ‘clutter clearing’ (not that this was in any way a messy home) and redefining three (mostly unoccupied) bedrooms. Happy to indicate a small budget for upgrades and staging items, the couple were keen that any furniture and accessory purchases could be used again in their next home or agreed as part of a rental package (hired from me) if they so chose.

Having received my Home Sale report, they’d spent the intervening period working through my recommendations; sorting, storing, decorating and cleaning the house from top to bottom. Estate Agent valuations were booked and all that was left to do was the final room styling in preparation for the marketing photographs.

Where possible I like to work with a professional photographer, one experienced in commercial photography rather than family portraiture and preferably a patient photographer. I often spot something after the shot has been taken that I don’t like, need to change or “would be better over there”!

On site I meet up with Bruce Bolton, (www.lanternphotography.co.uk) he’s keen, early and I’ve yet to begin.  Luckily, he and the owner discover a passion for racing cars which allows me enough time to unpack and get started. We’ve allowed only 2-3 hours.

Much of the main furniture re-arrangement was completed in advance; we needed a new double bed for one of the rooms and some curtain poles put up elsewhere. Now also in-situ, I’d previously sourced bed linen, lamps and light-fittings too.

Concentrating on the Living room and Dining room first, I arrange flowers, hang pictures, re-position key pieces of furniture and decide which lights to leave on. Bruce is anxious to get ‘snapping’ so I move onto the kitchen. This room is the most contemporary part of the house, all gleaming surfaces and shiny glass. Already a very stylish space, other than deciding which accessories will further enhance the ‘lifestyle look’ there isn’t a lot else to do in here.

The patio and garden have previously been tweaked by the owners so photographs are taken of this area next. The sun keeps disappearing behind a cloud, not ideal but at least it isn’t raining – we want light, bright, shots, seasonal of course but sunshine makes a huge difference to the appeal of any property image.

Thankfully styling the rest of the house goes smoothly. The cushions I’d purchased for the Master Bedroom are such a perfect match to the owner’s originals anyone would think it had been planned in advance I’m very pleased with the overall look and feel of this room.

The only space that proves a bit tricky is the bathroom…. It’s quite small and trying to find an angle that isn’t all ‘bath’ or mainly a shot of the window is difficult.  I managed to source towels in pretty soft shades to go with the colour scheme and found some perfectly coloured accessories but unless we take a photo directly of them (which to show off the styling is fine) this room could look a bit bland.

In the end all rooms are photographed and we even manage to capture the front of the house with the sun shining! The result is exactly what I had hoped to achieve and thankfully my clients are thrilled.

Before I leave, my owners get a mini coaching session on how to conduct a perfect viewing.  Showing a 3 storey property can be confusing – do you start at the top of the house, in the middle or out in the garden?  I want to ensure they can successfully show the house to viewers (and the Estate Agents) without having to double back anywhere; ensure where they start creates the most impact and that they finish on a high to give them the greatest chance of achieving a faster and more profitable sale.

Back home, the worst part of the job…unpacking! I have to decide if I’m keeping any of the unused purchases for another project, re-wrap the delicate items, store all the bags and boxes and finally sit down to analyse the day.

Post Script:  All 4 estate agents that came to value were really impressed by the presentation of the property and dead keen to get the instruction.  By being proactive and having the house ready before they called in the agents, my clients could make informed decisions about the timing of the sale, negotiate fees and capitalize on marketing ideas.  

They sold quickly, for a great price and are now happily involved in turning their new house into their home!

Thanks to Bruce at www.lanternphotography.co.uk for use of his images.

After all, you are trying to ‘sell’ and achieve the maximum market price… you probably take care to present goods/products for sale on sites like Ebay in the best possible light; so why wouldn’t you make sure your home is marketed correctly?

Trawling the property portals for more examples of  ‘How Not to stage ‘ I’m afraid I came across so many underdressed, overdressed, ‘couldn’t careless whether we sell or not’ styles of presentation that I probably have enough property pictures to fill several large books!

In most instances, the home owners ‘could do better’ if they really wanted to cash in on their largest asset but I also came across some excruciatingly bad marketing by a number of estate agents!

Many of them chose to shout about the property putting the whole of the opening description in CAPITAL LETTERS, very off putting to a reader.  A few described houses as “deceptively spacious, must be seen” – only to use a picture of the front of the house or view of the garden (not a single image of the inside) for their advertisement. Others chose to use the space for their vendors property images as a chance to promote themselves .. one showing an image of the front of the house followed by 3 images pertaining to their business; an awards image, logo, contact details etc before showing any further images of the property for sale?!

A subject for another blog perhaps .. so before this turns into a rant;

Here are another 5 classic examples of what not to do if you want to sell your home fast.

1. Don’t neglect your outside space; whatever the size, make the most of it.

2. Never use plastic covers on anything or if you do, take them off for photos and viewings.  I can’t locate the image of two lovely red sofas and a chair I saw covered in thick plastic but if you’re reading this you know who you are…get rid of them!

3. Always leave room for your buyers to circulate.  Edit some of the furniture to allow buyers space to move around.

4. Clear the clutter but don’t strip out all the personality; think warm and welcoming not too austere.

5. Avoid confusion; defining the ‘dumping ground’ adds value!  Make sure the buyer can easily see the room as a bedroom, conservatory, living room etc.

So there you have it ..5 more examples of how not to stage your property for sale.  If you’d like to know more about what you should or shouldn’t do.. please do contact me or keep checking back here for more help and advice in the next coming weeks

Subtle use of really good property styling is a property marketing dream.  It helps a potential buyer to visualise your property as their new home and it helps you to clinch a faster sale.  Bad styling gets a property noticed by the viewer …but only for its use of unreal and theatrical staging.

Here are my pet hates/top tips on how NOT to stage a house for sale:

1. Don’t formally set the kitchen or dining table; limit use of candles, china and glass wear – unless you live in a museum.

2. Never put a tray with champagne flutes or teapot/cups on the bed; even if it is at a jaunty angle – unless it is a show-home.

3. Keep towels in the bathroom; don’t stack them on the end of the bed – unless you’re selling a holiday home or B&B.

4. Always light the fire in a big hearth; for photos – unless it’s the height of summer also light for viewings.

5. Dress the master bed with cushions properly – don’t ‘scatter’ them about – EVER!

In part 2 I will give you some more tips of ‘How NOT to stage’ .. and maybe even some examples of  exactly ‘What to do!’

A staggering 93%* of property buyers search the internet first, before they even contact an estate agent.

It appears only a few homeowners thoroughly check their online property details, preferring to leave ‘that side of thing to the agents’.  Most never think of looking at their property to see whether their ‘advert’ could be improved.

Once you’ve noticed your home showing up on Rightmove or Zoopla what do you do, sit back and wait for a sale?

When presented with a client’s ‘problem’ property, one of the first things I do is study the online information to see what it does or, in many cases doesn’t reveal.

Imagine you’re searching for a new home to buy, what would you like to see?  In my case the kitchen, living space and the master bedroom are top of my list.

Take 5 minutes out of your busy day, sit down with a cup of tea and really look objectively at the way your house has been presented… to the world!

Did you even notice it amongst the 1000′s of similar properties for sale on the property portals?

Hiding something?

More importantly, would you want to view it?

Full frontal!

Any property can benefit from a good declutter and bit of tweaking here and there (I should know!) but if your online and printed information is less than perfect, your smart, clutter free hallway may remain forever unseen!

*Statistics from HMT Report, Property Academy (October 2010) )

So, to get an email or call out of the blue from a “National” publication is always a thrill.  It’s a kind of validation that you are an ‘expert in your field’, do know what you are talking about and have the knowledge to contribute to the article.  Also, secretly, everyone hopes that a mention will open the floodgates and propell you (and your business) to the forefront of everyones minds … for a day or so at least!

Nothing is ever guaranteed, not even the journalist is ever sure it when or if it will make the papers and rarely, as you’re just the one providing the information, do you get to know which bits of your interview will actually get published. 

But twice, in the last couple of months, I have had a call or, as the case this week, an email from a ‘National’

I’m flattered to have been asked to contribute to a number of websites, blogs and newspaper articles.  Usually, these have come through getting to know the business owner or journalist via friends and networking connections.  Then, when a topic has come up for discussion or, they need a piece on property marketing, they already know what I do or how I can help and a quote ‘from me’ has been included.

This time though the email was from a stranger, working for the Daily Mail!

The email led to a phone interview and further emails, as information was exchanged and questions asked.  I waffled on about case histories and how amazing property styling could be, what a difference it could make to the value of a property, how people buy homes with emotion not logic, the importance of correct online marketing and how selling empty (of furniture) properties is a complete no no…………..

I am sure the guy requesting the information was bored rigid but he was very polite and, enthusiastically thanked me for my efforts and assured me that if he used any of my quotes/information The Property Styling Company would get a mention. Result!

Well today, Friday October 7th 2011 ‘we’ did get a mention in the Property Mail section of the paper.   I got a name check, the website got published and a telephone number included (thankfully no photo!) … I can now use the quote “As seen in the Daily Mail”

My mother was convinced that with all the time I’d spent talking to him and exchanging emails I’d “practically written the whole article for him” .. and if you see below, yes Mum I practically did

And if you can’t read what it says above … >> a transcript follows below

HOME STAGING

Helen Silver, of The Property Styling Company (07789 488446, propertystylingcompany.co.uk) believes sellers can add at least 10 per cent to the value of their property by employing a professional stylist.

She decluttered and restyled a four-bedroom home in Swindon valued at £275,000 — now it’s on sale for £320,000.

How to furnish your new home for less than £600

Deciding how to furnish your new home is undoubtedly one of the most exciting parts of the homebuying process. But the reality may different to what you originally imagined – especially when you start putting pen to paper to work out your budget.

“It’s tempting to splurge on contemporary furnishings and accessories,” says

property styler Helen Silver of The Property Styling Company (www.propertystylingcompany.co.uk). “But give yourself some time to get the feel of your new surroundings. You may have spent months drawing out on paper where you’ll put the sofa and TV, or choosing colour for feature walls. But the reality is a limited budget could put paid to your original plans.”

Plasti-kote coloursFirst things first – know your palette, and pick one or two simple colours to form the basis of your home’s colour scheme. “Buying an expensive sofa or a dining table could be a mistake if you dislike the colour in a year’s time,” Helen adds. “Choose neutrally toned pieces, and add splashes of colour with bright cushions or rugs.”

Asking family and friends if they’ve got any excess furniture to get rid of is a very good starting point. And after you’ve assembled a small collection of cast-offs, it’s time to hit the internet. Second-hand furniture (or to give it its more glamorous pen name, “vintage”) is booming, with sites like Gumtree (www.gumtree.com) and Freecycle (www.freecycle.org) featuring free key pieces, such as tables, chairs and even TVs and surround-sound systems – all potentially essential items for your new home that you can snap up for nothing except transportation costs.

If you don’t find what you’re looking for online, then second-hand furniture shops and charity shops can be great resources to hunt through, particularly if you’re after everyday china and cutlery, glasses and picture frames.

Nowadays, you don’t have to settle for the original design or hue of what you collect. PlastiKote (www.plasti-kote.co.uk) Super Spray paint is a fun way to revamp old furniture (see picture above), and can be sprayed onto most surfaces, and dries in under an hour. Available in 60 different colours and finishes, it retails at £6.95 for a 400ml can.

The bed is an area where it’s best to invest – after all, you’ll be spending a third of your life in it, so you may as well get comfortable. Hyder Living’s Dorchester bed frame is £300 (www.hyderint.com), and is stylish and easy to style up with a funky bedspread – Curtain Wizard’s range is particularly affordable (www.curtain-wizard.co.uk). Buying a new sofa is also important – Sofas World has classic design models starting from £200 (www.sofasworld.co.uk).

If you’re considering buying a new-build home, there’s no time like the present to make an appointment to visit a show home on a new property development. It’s also a great way to pick up the latest style trends. Among the great new homes schemes for sale at present with inspiring show homes are:

Twilight at Water Colour in Redhill, Surrey, from Linden Homes (full story here)

Royal Arsenal Riverside in Woolwich, London from Berkeley Homes (full story here)

Rosewood Farm in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, from Bloor Homes (full story here)

Gainsborough Court in Kelvindale, Scotland from Mactaggart & Mickel

via Property News – New homes decoration | New homes interior design | Interior design for new-build homes.

Recently I had the pleasure of attending a conference alongside 50 odd (no pun intended ) estate agents. 

Whatever the public perception of estate agents, they have a job to do, businesses to run and livelihoods to support just like the rest of us.  Frustratingly, some agents still appear to be in the dark ages and to survive, definitely have to ‘up their game’.  Encouragingly, although the conference was an opportunity for many to meet up with old friends and sparing partners, some had come along to learn new tips and tricks for (hopefully) taking their agencies forward.

One of the reasons I’d been eager to attend, was of course to network my own business, (an outsider on the inside so to speak!) nevertheless, I was also interested in listening to a couple of the key speakers.  In particular, Julian O’Dell, who I’d come across on Twitter, as @agencytrainer a year or so ago and been a keen follower of ever since.

As well as being a partner of Thomas Morris estate agents, Julian runs another business (training estate agents) TM training&development.  A few of my contacts had heard him speak and some had even raved about his training courses.  For me, this was too good an opportunity to miss.

Most of my clients have estate agent stories (or sagas) to tell; some good but mostly, unfortunately, bad!  Although I too am in the business of ‘helping to sell houses’, I’m usually called in when clients are fed up with the agent, or at their wits end when the property isn’t selling as quickly as (they think) it should be.  Selling is a stressful and emotional time, some agents get it right, some obviously don’t!  I have firm views on what you should expect from your agent, the level of service they provide and how they should market your property.  So pencil in hand, I was ready to take notes.

Julian is an extremely engaging speaker but generally what he said was all common sense.  Most of his ethos is what ‘we’, the public, want or should expect to get from our agent, so why did he need to spell it out to them?

Luckily he had time to chat afterwards and although I’m no roving reporter, agreed to answer a few of my probing questions….….

Julian, I’ve given a brief description of your ‘day job’ above but perhaps you could you summarise your business and background for those that don’t know you?

After so many years in the industry, what is it about the role of an estate agent that still interests or excites you?

The role of a diligent agent in solving people’s problems by helping them sell and/or buy successfully is still an important one.  In the current market, most people who move are doing so because something in their lives dictates that they have to – often something problematic.  High quality agents identify those issues and suggest and supply the right course of action to their clients.  The right advice and action from the right agent can genuinely make a difference to the quality of life of many of their clients.

Why do you think estate agency gets such a bad press?

What does it take to be a good estate agent?

As a firm, high standards of behaviour and conduct which are monitored and ahered to, aligned with a dynamic brand and great marketing are a great start.  Appropriate staff recruitment, reward, retention and training are crucial.

As for individuals, there are numerous key criteria under the three umbrella headings of knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Knowledge includes that of the relevant legislation, local and national market, property stock, amenities, facilities, benefits of living in your catchment area are all important.

Key skills include communication, questioning, listening, rapport building, prioritisation, time management, objection handling and many more. Training and coaching in these skills accelerate and maintain effectiveness and set individuals apart from the competition.

The paramount attitudes are a will to win, positivity, flexibility and a good team ethic. If these are in place from the start, individuals have the raw materials to be successful. The missing knowledge and skills can then be bolted on through training, coaching and mentoring.

Which common mistakes do you see happening time and time again?

Do you think estate agents will ever stop being vilified by the public?

Is there one improvement (all) agents could make immediately to better their service?

Improve the quality and frequency of proactive communication. The biggest criticism of agents that I hear is that they do not keep in touch with their clients and customers. The better agents I have dealings with contact their key customers weekly by telephone to develop and maintain trust, rapport and loyalty. 

Apart from keeping you gainfully employed, why do you feel estate agent training is so important?

The market size in terms of transaction numbers has reduced massively since 2007 and agents who want to survive and outlive the competition long term need to improve what they do to grab a bigger slice of available action. This does not happen through mere willpower – improved knowledge and skills have to be in place. Training makes this happen!

The current news for home sellers (and therefore agents) is pretty bleak, what are your thoughts on the market at the moment?

As previously stated, the market size has fundamentally changed. In 2007, there were 1.6 million sales transactions in England and Wales. That figure is likely to be no more than 0.6 million in 2011. 1 million transactions disappearing represents a huge challenge, particularly in light of the fact that there has been nowhere near a proportionate reduction in the number of agents competing for that market.

How do you see the world of estate agency changing over the next few years?

There will doubtless be changes as the years roll on, but although online agency has its place and offers an alternative to the traditional approach, I believe that due to the size and importance of property transactions, a person to person relationship will always play a massive part in the moving process. For that reason, I do not see a huge dying away of high street agency nor a surge of popularity for online agents.

With the advent of sites like Tepilo, do you think people are more determined to try and sell their homes without using an agent – particularly to save themselves huge fees? 

As the online phenomenon grows, do you think we will see the end of the high street agent? 

See above!

Should agents consider changing their opening hours – I mean with most of us working longer hours, is it still feasible to operate a branch Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm?

What key factors should a home seller look for when asking an agent to value their property?

Research into which agent to employ to sell your home is extremely important and directly linked to your chances of achieving the best possible price in the shortest possible time with the minimum amount of aggravation en route.

Assuming they typically select 3 agents to value, how does home seller choose which estate agent to instruct – select the one with the highest valuatio or the lowest fee?

In your opinion, what is the best thing about being an estate agent?

The challenge, the variety, the fact that no two days are the same, that one never stops learning as new situations present themselves regularly and that it is genuinely an industry where hard work, honesty and professionalism reap rewards.

Despite the fact that moving house is regarded as one of the most stressful experiences in life, an exceptional agent can alleviate vast amounts of that stress and help people fulfil their dreams and aspirations. Thank you cards, chocolates and wine from satisfied clients give me the same glow of pride as they did 28 years ago when I first started in the business. 

Apart from recommending my services , what else should agents do to help their vendors sell more quickly and for the best price?

Many thanks to Julian for taking time out from his busy day to give an insider’s view into the business and for his candid responses to my questions.

Perhaps, they need help to sell your home faster!

Perhaps, you think, they should have sold your home by now, been inundated with offers for you to choose from …. Or, at the very least, shown around a viewer!

I agree, if you’ve a property to sell, if your home is on the market and let’s face it, most of us enlist the help of an Estate Agent when selling; they need to do their job.  They must market your home, advertise it, promote it, show your property, attract a buyer, get you a good price, sell your home, liaise with solicitors, stay on top of the transaction, calm any nerves, and (this is very important) keep you informed!

So, what if you’re struggling to sell, what if you aren’t getting any viewings, is it all down to your agent or could some of the responsibility lie with you too?!

Assuming your home’s currently on the market and you are having problems attracting a buyer – take action now.  If you have to or want to sell quickly and for the best market price, you need to be geared up to promote your home too.

Stop quibbling about dropping the price (in fact… don’t rush to drop the price) focus on the marketing message you (and your home) are sending out. Use these simple ideas that to help you sell your home faster;

Read your property details.  Thoroughly read them, in print and online. Are they describing your property accurately? Is there a floor plan, clear room sizes, has anything been missed off or described incorrectly? Does the thumbnail photo of your home online stand out amongst the crowd?

Study the photos.  Have your agents captured the best rooms, the best aspect? Do the photos highlight your home; are they too dark, too light? You know your home better than your agent; if you don’t feel the photos are representative don’t be afraid to say so.

Keep it seasonal.  If your property has been on the market a while and winter has turned into summer, make sure your photos reflect that.  Refresh and renew as necessary.

Is the price realistic?  Did you go with the agent who gave you the highest (but not necessarily the most sensible) valuation? Or, perhaps you were adamant your home went on the market for ££££’s more than your neighbours because you have a conservatory, and next door hasn’t.  Most property will sell if it’s correctly priced.

How is your property presented?  Would you view your own home? Does the outside make you want to come in or drive by; are the rooms cluttered, have you washed up, is the toilet seat down?!  Many small improvements will cost little but add (high) value.

Ask for feedback.  If you are getting viewings, insist on regular feedback and act on it if you can.  Ask your agent for Rightmove statistics, to see how many have looked at your home.  This is a good indicator of how appealing your property is, how well it stands out/gets noticed online.

Accept criticism.  If for example viewers are saying the 3^rd bedroom looks small, can you do anything about it; is this the room that’s currently housing 10 years worth of treasures?!

Banish the animals.  Not forever but please remove the food bowls, litter tray, dog bed, cages, smells and the animals for the duration of the viewing.

Let the agent do the viewings – without you at home!  Leave before the viewers arrive and stay out until they have left.  Don’t turn up with kids and dog in tow crowding into the hallway to catch a glimpse of your possible new purchasers – what the viewers might have decided was a lovely spacious home, will suddenly have become small, cramped and not for them in that very instant!

Be ready – for viewings.  If your agent calls to arrange a viewing do you keep putting them off; have you got people staying, are you holding a dinner party, wanting a lie in, cant be bothered to tidy up? There are times when rearranging a viewing makes sense (if your home really does look like a bomb’s hit it or the cat’s left you a present in the living room) but, if its something you tend to do regularly, potential buyers will simply move on to the next house. Stay prepared, make the beds, take out the trash, clean the bathroom!

Make friends with your agent. I don’t mean you have to invite them to dinner or call them all the time.  However, you chose them, interviewed them (or you should have), trusted them to sell your biggest asset.  Keep in touch, keep things friendly, ask their advice, and push for feedback positive or negative.  Challenge their sales methods, viewing techniques, marketing details etc (sorry EA’s!) if you feel they’re not right.  Let them know they have a motivated seller on their books.

Don’t be afraid to change.  So, if you have done all of the above and you’re still not happy or don’t feel you are getting the right sort of marketing advice for your home, then yes, much of the problem could lie with your current agent.

Perhaps it is time to change …. Or at the very least, lend them a hand

During my previous visit they had shown me around the house.  We briefly discussed what an easy sell it would be if they ever chose to put it on the market but I hadn’t really looked at it with my ‘viewing’ or ‘buying’ head on.   Now however, it was on the market and after 7 viewings they hadn’t even had a sniff of an offer!

This house was meant to be their forever home, a property they had only recently finished refurbishing and fitting out to a very high spec.

A light, bright, modern living space, designed to make the most of  fabulous, far reaching views over the Devonshire countryside.  Fold-back doors, glass balustrades, and a swish bathroom, definitely gave it the ‘wow-factor’.  And, its eco-friendly touches; including a rain water harvesting system made it a very cheap and efficient house to run too.  So much so, that when most of us needed to turn the thermostat right up in the depths of the snow and ice last winter, they didn’t even put their heating on!

Although this property ticked all the boxes for my clients as far as contemporary ‘town’ living was concerned, they were also lucky enough to own another wonderful, more traditional property, in a fairly rural and equally beautiful part of Devon.  After much soul searching, ‘country life’ appealed to them more for a while at least, and they’d decided to sell.

Although we had talked about the property over the phone and I had looked at the particulars online, I hadn’t given the sale of the house much thought.  The Estate Agent was ‘confident that the house would sell quickly’.  The owners had moved out but left the house mostly furnished and, armed with some tactics I had shown them on another property, they weren’t overly concerned about its saleability.

A few weeks on though and with the start of the summer holiday season, the Estate Agent had started murmuring about reducing the price for a quick sale!

Hang on a minute, this was an ‘easy to sell’, stylish, well presented property… What was the problem?

The agent’s viewing feedback had been positive, there were a couple of small issues, nothing major but equally no one was desperate to buy it either.

I thought back through our initial conversation when the house first hit the market, about the advice the agent had given and the reasons my clients thought the house was sticking.  I looked again at the property photos and details and.. ‘ta-da’ … had a ‘lightbulb moment’!

It was arranged for the Estate Agent to be there when I arrived.  I was keen to meet him; to extract any feedback information that perhaps he had neglected to pass on and also to see what he thought of my suggestions.

We discussed at length the appeal of the house, how much promotion it had been given in the press, the marketing details and how the viewings were conducted (i.e. which room they started with and which way around the property they showed viewers).  When he started to talk ‘price reductions’ I challenged his thinking – ‘Why reduce now if this is the quiet season and ‘very few’ are looking?  Surely you’d wait until September if it really was the right thing to do, otherwise you’d risk having to reduce it again wouldn’t you?’

Both he and I were of the opinion that the 3/4 bedroom house should appeal to a wide range of buyers, professionals, young families, and older couples.  And it would.  However, the reality was, that most people viewing or equiring about the property were in fact downsizers!  

Downsizers, ok, forget reducing the price, I had a better idea. 

Downsizing buyers are (usually) leaving a much loved family home, an acre or two of garden and lots of room to swing a cat (if so desired!).  Although they want (or need) to downsize, they often view with an image of their large rooms and big furniture firmly at the back of their minds. “How will we fit our huge wardrobes in there?” “Where will we have our music room?” etc. etc.  When people are buying a home they buy with their heart, not their heads.  To secure a buyer for this house we needed to ensure viewers would buy into the ‘lifestyle’, could appreciated the versatility of the rooms and more importantly, could imagine themselves (and perhaps some of their furniture) actually living there!

Firstly, we needed to improve the details.

To me, the brochure didn’t show the reality of the roomy, light interior.  The main accommodation looked small when actually it is a brilliant party house.  Re-taking some of the interior shots from another angle would still show the views from the windows, whilst at the same time reflecting the EA’s description of a spacious open-plan home.  I also felt there should be a vendors comment.  Perhaps describing how efficient the house was to run or, explaining a little more about the property’s ‘eco-features’.   After all, not many would have come across ‘rainwater systems’ or ‘high spec insulation’ and buyers definitely wouldn’t understand the benefits… unless they were explained to them.

Secondly, some rooms required further definition. 

The very large hall area, I thought, could be utilized as a ‘valuable’, useful, living space, rather than a place to simply hang your coat and dump your post.  Stylishly presented, this area challenged the dining room for size, yet other than a room to meet and greet it wasn’t really being used.  One of the main rooms downstairs also needed a minor re-jig but, it was upstairs that I really hoped my ideas would make an impact.

Upstairs in the property there was a beautifully styled and furnished bedroom but to all intents and purposes it was really Bedroom 2 – not a bedroom many buyers would see themselves occupying.  The so-called Master bedroom was across the hall and, completely empty. 

I could see why my clients had left furniture in the other room, it had huge windows, stunning views and a ‘summery’ feel.  However, in my opinion, leaving the Master bedroom empty left viewers failing to find and visualise a ‘room of their own’.  This room also had great views but (according to the agent) most viewers didn’t stop to look at or appreciate the space, it had just become a way to see and access the en-suite!  Styling the ‘Master Bedroom’ was key.  It would complete the picture, allow viewers to appreciate the size of the room, identify their own space and ultimately get them to stop and realise (daft as it sounds) that this ‘walk-through’ was actually a bedroom!

None of my ideas were costly, in fact apart from a couple of accessories for the bedroom, the owners had everything in-house to make the necessary adjustments.

Under strict instructions not to let anyone view the property until everything was completed, I left my clients to implement the changes and skipped off to impart more property marketing wisdom to other Devon based clients.

The next people to view, gave us the feedback we wanted! They loved the house, thought it was bigger and the rooms more spacious than it appeared in the brochure, they lingered in the Master bedroom, appreciated the separate study/computer area and could really visualise themselves living there.  Fantastic!  The only problem was, they hadn’t sold, their own home wasn’t even on the market ….

All was not lost though.  The second viewers to look round after our changes also loved it.  Downsizers again, they came from a very traditional cottage but totally fell for the contemporary look and lifestyle my clients property offered.  Better still ..this time they were proceedable

After the usual too-ing and fro-ing, I’m thrilled to report that an offer was agreed at the end of last week.  Hands have been shaken on the deal and the couple in question who were so ‘sold’ on the overall package, even enquired about buying many of the furnishings.

My client comments;

“7 Viewings with no offers. You came and worked your magic 2 viewers who wanted it and an offer, higher than expected, in the quiet season, from a sale agreed buyer! Excellent “

The second time might be an advert in the Estate Agent’s window or in the local property paper.

The third time? Well probably, when they receive the glossy brochure showing your home for sale in all its splendid glory.

But are your online and printed details good enough to get you a viewing?

Hopefully, this will be one of the things you have been considering since my last blog!

As I’ve said before, selling a house is like selling any product it needs good marketing.  And your property details; photographs, description, floorplan, glossy brochure, should promote your property for sale in much the same way as a luxury hotel might advertise its weekend breaks.  The information needs to be clear, concise, interesting, appealing to its target market, highlight the most attractive features and selling points, whilst evoking a sense of lifestyle.  Ultimately, the advert needs to be impressive, good enough to get them a booking … or in your case, to secure a viewing!

So study your details on-line. 

Are your pictures good enough to stop potential buyers eliminating your property during one sitting at the computer?  How many do you whizz through when searching for a home online – 50? 100?  What makes you stop and click-through the details? price?, image, description?  Think about it.  Searching for a home online gets boring after a while and what stops you will stop your buyers too. 

What could be done to make your property stand out from the crowd? If you have extensive competition in your price range go through the list – is every thumbnail property a picture of the front of the house?  How about asking your agent to change the image to an interior shot or, one of the back garden?

Are your photographs well-lit or does your property look gloomy? Do your rooms look cluttered, tired, messy.  Is your bed made and the toilet seat down?! If you’ve been on the market a while are your photos still in season or do they show snow on the ground in the middle of summer?  Freshen up the photos if necessary.  A good agent should be on top of this but it helps to be a proactive seller…. if you really want to sell.

Go through your property description details.  Hopefully you will have done this from the start but if you notice an inaccuracy don’t leave it, change it!  If yours is a unique property and has a different heating system or particularly unusual feature – perhaps an explanation from you or additional (typewritten) notes could be available at the time of the viewing… (if you’re unable to get them printed on the brochure).

Floorplans are they big enough or too big for your brochure? And do you have room sizes on them?  Frankly they aren’t much good if you haven’t got sizes as they don’t allow an easy comparison to other (similar) properties.  Floorplans show how a property works, allows the buyer to see if a property will work for their family or situation and act as a memory trigger when they have been to view.

If you’re not getting any viewings, don’t (just) blame your agent… be proactive, re-assess your details, re-shoot the photographs and bag yourself a buyer!