Find your best local estate agent Start here
If you use an online estate agent to sell your home you'll usually conduct the viewings yourself, unless you pay extra. We look at the dos and don'ts of showing a home yourself.
The housing market has changed considerably in the last decade or so – particularly in terms of how we search for and sell homes. This means that with the growth of online estate agents (now 5% of the market) and self-employed agents (1.4% of the market), homeowners are more often doing viewings themselves.
If you use an online estate agent you’ll usually need to conduct the viewings yourself, unless you opt to pay more for hosted viewings. For some people showing a home themselves instead of an estate agent doing it is a major plus – who knows your home better than you do? Conducting a viewing means you’re able to highlight your home’s best attributes, speak from personal experience and, hopefully, ensure a quick sale. For others, it seems like a daunting experience. But it needn’t be. You can find out about the pros and cons of using an online estate agent in our guide Should I use an online estate agent?
Find and compare the best online estate agents with our easy to use comparison tool.
The first step in showing your house is getting it sale-ready for viewings. To get your property looking its best and ready for viewings look to:
Improve kerb-appeal. Our research shows more than two thirds (68%) of homeowners say kerb appeal was important to their purchase decision. Buyers put the greatest importance on the condition of windows and the roof. But the overall appearance of things being well-kept is also important. Buyers notice a tidy front garden, neat pathways, fences in good condition and a well-painted frontage. See how to update the exterior of your home.
Declutter and tidy: This may seem obvious but you’d be surprised how many people conduct viewings – or have an agent do so – without doing last night’s dishes or making the beds. Make sure your property is clean and tidy. If you’re showing your house while living in it, pack up some of the things you won’t be needing in between now and your move and move to your loft/basement or put in storage. This will make the property seem more spacious and allow the potential buyer the chance to mentally position their own belongings. If you’re looking to have items safely and conveniently disposed of, take a look at our partner LoveJunk.
Depersonalise: Keep family photos and baby pictures to a minimum. You don’t have to pretend you don’t live there, but the buyer needs to be able to envision this as their home – that’s more difficult to do if your children’s smiling faces beam down from every wall!
Get the scent for success: Open the windows to air the property before viewers arrive (but make sure the house isn’t too cold) and avoid cooking anything with too strong an aroma the night before!
Light, bright and airy: Turn on all the lights, and open all the curtains to create an inviting space.
Maximise your home’s value: If you are still preparing to put your home on the market, then you might want to improve some rooms to increase the value of your home. Our partners at My Bespoke Room offer packages from just £295 to redesign your space. Check out their service and book a free interior design consultation to discuss your design dilemmas today.
See our guide for more tips to get your home sale-ready and to maximise the sale price.
Ask your agent for any details they have on the potential buyers so that you can tailor the information you give to suit their needs. If they’re a family with children you’ll know schools and local parks will be selling points. If they’re a young couple moving out of the city centre flag up the pubs/restaurants within walking distance.
By definition, if you’re showing a home yourself you’ll need to be around for the viewings. And these can be time consuming, especially if you have a lot of interest. But it’s important to try to be as accommodating as possible to your potential buyers and work around their schedules. If you can’t fit them in, you might miss out on a potential buyer. This might mean agreeing to viewings at different times to when you’d prefer. But when you’re selling your house you’ll want as many potential buyers as possible to see it. So try to be as flexible as you can.
If an estate agent was showing a home, it would ideally be empty so that the potential buyers can look around in peace. So if you’re showing a home yourself and you have children, do you have a relative or friend who can look after them during the viewings?
Similarly, if you have pets it’s also a good idea for them not to be there for the viewings. You might have an adorable pet dog, but if a potential buyer is afraid of dogs or allergic to them it will put them on edge. And you want all their focus to be on your house – not your pets!
Make a list of the property’s best features and plan your viewing around that. Start with the best room in the house. First impressions count so if your kitchen is stunning that’s the place to start. Highlight all the unique features as you go. Throw in interesting facts. If your property has the original doors then say so, an original fireplace, then showcase it.
And equally important is where your viewing will finish. If you have several rooms that are particularly impressive know which one you are going to end up in once the viewing is complete so that the viewing ends on a high.
If you’ve invested in home improvements, point them out. If your property has potential for extension or you have a vision for the garden, point it out as the opportunity to put your own mark on a place and have options for growth is appealing.
And if you have had planning permission granted allowing you to extend the property, leave the plans out so the potential buyers can look at them.
Buying a home is as much emotional as it is financial. So be friendly and make buyers feel welcome. Offer to make a cup of tea and invite questions to try to put your potential buyers at ease.
Make sure you’re able to answer any questions about the property. And you’ll also need to be able to answer questions about the local area too.
So do your research. If you can prep yourself with the answers to potential questions you will be able to give your prospective buyers the information that they need instantly when showing a home, removing the hassle of them having to chase up details later.
When you’re showing a home, some questions buyers ask may include:
If you’re selling a house in England, Wales or Northern Ireland you’ll need an EPC. It’s easy to find out if your property already has a valid EPC by checking the government’s EPC register. If it doesn’t have one, you can save by shopping around as it’s cheaper to get EPC quotes from local Energy Assessors directly.
We might all be trying to cut our energy bills right now but showing a house isn’t the time to do it. If it’s cold enough to wear a sweater to stay warm, turn on the heat. You can always turn it back down again when the potential buyers leave.
Do give your viewers space. If you’ve ever viewed a property with the owner present you’ll know how difficult it can be to talk openly about what you like and, more importantly, don’t like about the house. You may want to have an open discussion with your partner about how you cannot live with a galley kitchen and you’ll need to knock down some walls. Instead you’ll find yourself complimenting the owner on how wonderfully cosy the room is. The whole thing turns into charade of polite conversation and unfounded compliments and the viewing ends up being pointless.
So when it comes to showing a home, one of the most important tips is to know when to give your viewers some space. Lead them into the best room of the house first and then ask if they would like to be left to it – at least then you can be sure they’ve started in the best spot. If the weather is nice go sit in the garden, let them explore themselves and give them a chance to talk.
Looking for an online estate agent? Our free tool compares agents by price, package and rating
Don’t hurry them. Let them know they can take all the time they need. This is one benefit of showing a home yourself. If an estate agent was doing the viewing they may have more limited time for the viewing if they have another appointment to get to. It may take some extra flexibility on your part when showing a home, but it will be worthwhile if you can get an offer.
You’ll need a conveyancing solicitor if you’re selling your house. Get instant quotes from quality assured firms in your local area
When you’re showing a home it may be that your viewers fall head over heels in love with your house and make an offer on the spot. But don’t feel under pressure to accept there and then. You’re perfectly entitled to thank them and say you’ll get back to them. Saying you need to discuss the offer with your partner or reflect overnight and speak to your estate agent is an obvious way of buying you some time. See our guide to accepting an offer for what to consider.
Looking for an online estate agent? Our free tool compares agents by price, package and rating
When it comes to dos and don’ts of showing a house, you might unwittingly be giving a bad impression about your house without realising it. For example, if you have an electric heater out it might give the impression that your house gets very chilly. Likewise, fans on display may imply your house gets very hot and stuffy.
And if drawers and cupboards are overflowing it may look like you don’t have enough storage space. So try to view your house through a potential buyer’s eyes and see what you need to tweak.
There are also some important safety considerations to be mindful of if you’re showing a home. It’s advisable to make sure someone else is in the house with you. If you don’t have a partner, could a neighbour or friend help? And make sure you don’t leave valuables out either.
If you are showing a home alone, let a friend know what time that will be and agree to touch base after it’s done. Your personal safety comes first.
If you decide showing a home yourself isn’t for you, check if your online estate agent offers a hosted viewings service. You’ll usually have to pay a fee if you want them to host viewings. If this isn’t an option or if you’ve gone off the idea of using an online estate agent, you may wish to switch estate agents and use a High street agent instead. If you go down that route, you can easily compare the performance of local estate agents in your areas using our Best Estate Agent Finder tool – their success rate, how long they take to sell properties like yours and their likelihood of achieving the asking price.
If you are conducting viewings, it’s good to be prepared for how to deal with offers and the steps that follow in the sales process:
Get instant quotes from regulated and reviewed conveyancing solicitors that cover your area. Our customers save on average £490.
When you’re showing a home, a typical house viewing lasts around 30 minutes so the buyer should have long enough to cover their checklist of what to look for when viewing a house. Find out more in our guide What to look for when viewing a house.
Yes. If you’re selling a house in England, Wales or Northern Ireland you’ll need an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). It doesn’t make any difference whether you’re showing a home or an estate agent is conducting the viewings.
You can save by shopping around as it’s cheaper to get EPC quotes from local Energy Assessors directly.
HomeOwners Alliance Ltd is registered in England, company number 07861605. Information provided on HomeOwners Alliance is not intended as a recommendation or financial advice.
Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), Unit 26 (2.06), Newark Works, 2 Foundry Lane, Bath BA2 3GZ, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
HomeOwners Alliance Ltd is an Introducer Appointed Representative (IAR) of Seopa Ltd, for home insurance, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA FRN: 313860).
HomeOwners Alliance Ltd is an Introducer Appointed Representative (IAR) of LifeSearch Limited, an Appointed Representative of LifeSearch Partners Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. (FRN: 656479).
Independent Financial Adviser service is provided by Unbiased, who match you to a fully regulated, independent financial adviser, with no charge to you for the referral.
Bridging Loan and specialist lending service provided by Chartwell Funding Limited, registered office 5 Badminton Court, Station Road, Yate, Bristol, BS37 5HZ, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 458223). Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or any debt secured on it.
