How to be a Nightmare Vendor
The property business is stressful for everyone. The buyers have to come up with the best offer possible, the agents have to keep everyone happy and everything on track and while the vendors seem to have the easiest job, they do have some responsibilities. However, vendors don’t always fulfil these duties, and they sometimes over-do them, leading to a nightmare for everyone involved, especially the agent.
Here’s four ways to end up in the average estate agent’s bad books…
Hanging around during viewings
You really don’t need to do this, people. For a start, you’re not being paid to sell your house and you don’t know what to tell prospective buyers. Viewers might already be nervous, or they may be pushed for time, so they don’t want to listen to you banging on about your quince tree and they really don’t want you there when they critique your “eclectic” décor.
Bigging up your upgrades
Not everyone cares about new washing machines. They might be bringing their own in, or they might dislike silver kitchen appliances. Likewise, new carpets might prove less than a draw for someone who prefers wooden floors. Going on about upgrades is a nuisance and detracts from the real stuff.
Not tidying up
This is a serious pain. You’ve staged your house, had the photographer round and your place looks like a showhome online… Then the buyers come round and wonder if you’ve been burgled.
The photos are only the first step in selling – you need to make sure your place looks as much like them as possible. Don’t make your agent apologise for you.
Not following through on repairs
Ideally, repairs should be done or be in progress before you go to market. A real nightmare is agreeing to perform x, y, z repairs and factoring these into the asking price – and then not doing them. You can imagine the stress this causes, not to mention causing sales to fall through.
