Vendors – Top tips to combat vendors tricks

When searching for your perfect home you need to be extremely careful! From the second you arrive at the perfectly polished front door with beautifully trimmed bay trees either side, and the smell of a scented candle wafts out to greet you, you should be on your guard.

Below are some great tips to help you to see through your potential vendors tricks…

In the past, buyers were expected to look past the tired and distasteful interior of a property and see the potential for the property. However, todays buyers need to look a bit harder to make sure they’re not just being fooled by clever vendors who have read up on ‘how to sell your home’.

Heat and light are essential. If the house is perfectly lit, turn the lights off, everywhere, and look again. If the property feels warm and cosy, check to see if the temperature is only achieved by all of radiators being on.

Ignore anything that the vendors will take with them. It’s hard to imagine a property without the fabulous paintings, divine rugs, and beautiful furniture, but help yourself to establish a true image of the home by imagining your own furniture and furnishings in place of the existing items, basically mentally re-furnishing the property.

Don’t allow yourself to be subconsciously seduced. You should remember; you are NOT buying the vendors’ lifestyle. If they’re in the garden sipping Champagne when you arrive on a Wednesday afternoon, this is a picture you should remove from your thought process. And bear in mind, you will not inherit the invitations, certificates, pictures of angelic children, and framed press cuttings when you move in, so try not to pay too much attention. Train your brain yourself by picturing the vendors packing all those precious things into a box on the day of the move, leaving nothing but empty rooms and blank walls.

Beware some of the more underhand techniques. If you come across a strategically placed letter detailing anything to do with the property, for instance, its price or any existing offers, don’t read it! This is a trap and you will find yourself adapting your behaviour in response. No good can come of it.

If a neighbour turns up bearing gifts of flowers or freshly baked cakes during your viewing, bear in mind that this is more than likely a set up, and there’s a strong chance that the scenario will never happen again, no matter how long you live there.

Lastly, try not to be drawn in by external influences. Wonderful neighbours, a village pub and nearby shops are all very attractive to buyers, but they may not be there forever. Imagine one of them isn’t there – would it be a deal breaker? If the answer is ‘yes’, then maybe this isn’t ‘the one’.

Good luck. If you know you’re a house-hunting pushover, take a ruthless, realistic friend or relative to give you a reality check.”

Post courtesy of Property Reporter.