The first time the new owners of your home are likely to come across your property, is on the internet; via Rightmove, Primelocation, Tepilo or, your Estate Agent’s website.

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!