Things to avoid during a property viewing - as a buyer
Nathan Walker, Sales Director, talks us through a few things buyers should avoid doing while viewing a property they may potentially want to put an offer on...
Kick-starting your home buying journey is an exciting time as you browse the range of available properties that suit your requirements, narrow down a select few and then book in some much-anticipated viewings. However, it's important to not allow the excitement to take over too much and instead approach a property viewing with some plans and preparations in place so that you can make an informed and well-calculated decision afterwards.
As well as ensuring you're well positioned to make that informed decision, home buyers also have other responsibilities to adhere to while viewing a property. If you're selling a property there is a good chance you'll also be buying somewhere else, so these are responsibilities you'd expect viewers of your property to be upholding while you're doing the same as you carry out viewings of your own elsewhere.
So, what are some things you should not do when visiting somebody else's home as a potential buyer?
Never disrespect the property
Always remember that even though you're the one viewing the property to weigh up its credentials as a purchase, this is still somebody else's home and it deserves to be treated with the same level of respect as you'd expect your home to be treated. Examples of poor behaviour while viewing a property are pretty obvious and could include things such as refusing to remove shoes when instructed, handling personal items, lighting up a cigarette, or in some cases, even bringing a pet along.
Regardless of whether or not you're happy to put an offer in, the seller ultimately has the final say on who they sell their property to - choosing to view with disrespect rather than respect will not go unnoticed.
Avoid negotiating a price during a viewing
Even if you happen to feel yourself falling in love with the property as you make your way towards the front door, during the viewing is not the best time to be discussing the asking price of the property - especially if the sellers are present. You'll appreciate the time you give yourself if you go away, reflect on things, seek the answers to any questions that may be lingering in your mind and then if you're still eager to put an offer on the table, do so the correct way through the estate agent. Furthermore, it goes back to respect whereby challenging the asking price during your very first viewing of the property may seem in bad taste to the seller.
Keep criticism to yourself
Wandering around the property during the viewing while loudly criticising everything that doesn't take your fancy really isn't something that you need to do. Of course, you do need to take a strong mental note of all pros and cons that jump out at you so that you can weigh them up after the viewing when deciding on your next plan of action, but always remember that something you're not overly keen about with regards to the property may well be the sellers most favoured feature. There's nothing wrong with reporting constructive criticism back to the estate agent following the viewing - in fact, this can be beneficial if the information can be relayed back to the sellers in the right manner to help them make improvements for future viewings - but doing so mid-viewing could be considered very disrespectful by many.
Following this simple advice can help you build a positive rapport with the seller while ensuring the viewing is an all-round worthwhile experience for everyone involved, regardless of whether you ultimately choose to put in an offer or rule the property out and move onto the next.
To help you find your perfect home in Cardiff, don't hesitate to contact us here at CPS Homes. Our property experts are on-hand to offer all the help and advice you could possibly need, so feel free to call us on 02920 668585, e-mail enquiries@cpshomes.co.uk or pop into one of our three Cardiff branches.
The information contained within this article was correct at the date of publishing and is not guaranteed to remain correct in the present day.
