In a crowded buyers market it may be tempting to ‘hang back’ and not appear too keen! However, my advice to buyers is to actually do the opposite. Although you do have the upper hand, complacency should be avoided if you are to strike the best deal. By best deal I not only imply financially, but also infer how closely a particular property matches your requirements.
Because there are so many homes for sale, I would recommend that you allocate a healthy amount of time to viewings. I strongly believe a property cannot be fairly judged unless it is viewed. As an agent, I get often get invited to homes that are already on the market with another firm, in order to reappraise a sale. Often I find that my perceived idea of the property, which I had gained from the available marketing literature, is not in line with the reality.
Therefore, I would recommend you remain open minded as a buyer and assume the details you are reading may not be allowing you the correct insight. With this approach you are likely to view homes that with a normal approach would have been discounted; but I bet you will thank me!
Currently, you probably spend your time trawling websites in pursuit of your perfect home. With so much choice available, your approach may be to quickly narrow this list down to 3 or 4 worthy candidates. You then view this handful and settle on the nearest match – but is it your perfect home?
When I visit a clients home to provide a market appraisal, I often ask ‘what made you buy’ or ‘what attracted you to this property’. A high proportion of these vendors then actually inform me that they had discounted that particular property initially. They instead viewed all other available homes, only to discover that they were not quite right. Then, having exhausted all other options, they returned to their ‘discounted list’ as a last resort – only to find that their first impressions were indeed wrong. When they finally viewed these other properties with an open mind, they fell in love and bought!
Red Hot Property average six viewings per sale; each of which last approximately 15 minutes; an amazing fact considering a property is usually your largest purchase and most valuable asset. Remain open minded with regard to location and view anything that has a basic fit to your budget and criteria. Viewings expose greater options. Often a property can be adapted, reconfigured or even extended – but you will never know unless you view. Some of the best property developers I know are the most open minded and will view what on paper may seem like a non-starter.
Finally, if agents are aware you are viewing lots of homes, they will be keen to keep you informed. They will also pass this fact on to any vendor who receives your offer; which is likely to prompt a considered decision in case they lose you.
Good luck with your house hunting.
