First Impressions Count

Body language expert Allan Pease suggests individuals form up to 80 per cent of  an opinion within four minutes  of  meeting a new person. Much of the future relationship is based on these first impressions. Pease states that  these first impressions are based on appearance. The first and lasting impression is visual. Poor first impressions take an extraordinary length of time to reassess and overcome.

Potential buyers judge a property the same way.

How does it look at first glance? Neat, tidy and well-maintained, or messy and run- down?

How does it feel when you walk in? Warm and welcoming, or cold and harsh?

A property’s presentation affects both the price negotiation and time on market. Unmown lawns, untidy hedges and cluttered, dirty, messy houses are the most common causes of a poor first impression. When living in a property, it is easy to overlook small, easily fixed faults.

You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to make a good first impression. You can probably get by with some elbow grease and simple cosmetic changes.

First, stand back and consider the property with fresh eyes. Imagine this is the first time you have seen it.

What stands out?

Long lawns need to be mowed twice over two weeks: they look better the second time around.  Trimming the hedges makes all the difference to a first impression. Clean the outside using a high-pressure hose to remove dirt,  small stains and cobwebs.

Sparkling, clean windows reinforce the feeling of space and cleanliness.

Declutter the  inside to  make the house seem bigger, then do your best to keep the inside clean. Buyers don’t like dirty, smelly houses. Cleanliness is paramount to a successful sale.

Attend to small repairs, such as loose door handles or doorstops and holes in screen doors.  Simple, inexpensive repairs such as these add far more value than costly changes.

It’s fine for a property to appear lived in, but importantly it needs to be clean, tidy and well-maintained.

By Andrew Trim