There’s just too much information out there nowadays. Far too much data, far too many images, podcasts, box sets and social media posts for our poor old Stone Age brains to process properly in a sensible amount of time.
Everything is accelerated, and so our decision-making is also getting quicker, in order to keep up with the pace of modern life. This means we’re much more prone to making snap decisions, regardless of how big the decision is. We even decide in seconds whether we want to buy a property or not.
It takes just 20 seconds to say yay or nay to a property
Many estate agents are seeing clients making their minds up about a place before they’ve even walked down the hallway. This 20-30 second decision-making process is informed by the person looking at the photos online, checking out the neighbourhood and then actually visiting it.
Buyers will say they got a “vibe”, but they have actually used sensible information (at great speed) to gain an impression. You can also use the same information to create that vital first impression.
Ask yourself these five questions to see if you pass the test
Did you have a serious decluttering session before the photos were taken? If you only got around to emptying the spare room of the old running machine and box files after your photos were done, you should think about having them done again.
Does your frontage look as good as it could? Check over features like hanging baskets, porch lights, the garden path, and the porch to make sure they’re in good order. People may not directly notice them, but together they help to make that first impression.
Has the lawn been re-seeded and mown? You don’t want people to walk through your garden and think about how much work they’ll have to do. If you’re in a flat, think about the communal areas and entry points and make sure they’re welcoming and clean.
Does your front door look good? You should either clean or repaint it before you go to market. If necessary, replace it entirely – it’s an expense, but a new front door can add another £1,000 or so to your selling price. At the very least, put down a new welcome mat.
Is your hallway free of clutter? If you have a messy hallway that’s full of bags, shoes, roller skates and so on, then people will associate your home with a struggle! Go through the coats and bags and store unseasonal items elsewhere. It makes such a difference.
If you answered no to any of these questions, then you know what you have to do!
