I'm a property expert that still remembers the days when having broadband was a selling point! My articles cover issues that homesellers face in the UK and answer the questions we're all asking. I've bought and sold properties and helped others do the same, so my writing comes from years of experience.
Read Full Bio >Viewings are a crucial step when selling your house.
Whether you are selling your house for the first time or have done it before, you must know the frustration of getting viewings. You invest in preparing your house, make sure everything is in place and when prospective buyers come, they just spend a few minutes before leaving.
But you never get to hear from them again.
This is often the case for most people because it takes so many viewings before you can find the right buyer. Put yourself in the shoes of a buyer; it takes several viewings before you find your dream property.
If this is your reality, you’re probably looking for answers to these questions:
- How many viewings will it take to sell my house?
- What is the average number of viewings to sell a house?
- What if I’m getting viewings and no offers?
We have all the answers to your questions, and more! In this article, we get into detail about the number of viewings you need, as well as give some insider tips to help you get more viewings and share what you can do to translate them into offers.
How long will it take to sell my house?
Research by GetAgent between January and July and July to December 2020 reveal that selling a property under the current conditions will take about 295 days. The effect of the Stamp Duty Holiday in July 2020 saw a spike in demand. The result is that finding a buyer for your property was much easier. Yet, it takes an additional 43 days before the sale can go through.
Even then, you must keep in mind other things that contribute to a fast house sale. For instance, you’re likely to sell a house that is in a sought-after area faster and vice versa.
How many viewings do you need to sell a house?
Although you can’t predict how the sale process for your house will turn out, one thing is for sure; viewings. You see, prospective buyers prefer to visit several properties before making the last call.
The question then is ‘how many viewings do you need to sell a house?’ It is precisely why you’re reading this article. You want to know what to expect.
Not to worry! We have already done the research and have the numbers.
Research findings by The Advisory show that 20% of sales agreed upon in a cold and hot market had fewer than five viewings. This means you’re unlikely to sell your house with the initial viewings. While you’ll need an average of 10 viewings to sell your house, you can’t be certain about how soon the viewings will take place. It may be within the first 5 weeks of listing the house on the market during which you could get the property sold subject to contract.
Then again, the 10 viewings may be spread over months or years with the property taking forever to find a new owner. This is usually the risk of selling in the open market because there are not definite time frames and deadlines to work with.
In short, once you get into the selling process, you just can’t tell how long it’ll take.
What are the average house viewings for the first week?
You can expect at least 2 viewings within a week in a hot market. To put this into perspective, you can comfortably expect at least 2 viewings in the first week of listing your property. This number could go up because the nature of a hot market is such that there are many potential buyers, hence more interest.
Since a hot market means more buyers than sellers, buyers will want to jump on new listings in the market.
Conversely, a cold market can give you one viewing within a week and a half to two weeks. Now, based on this logic, you can either await a call to arrange a viewing or have a viewing in the first week. The thing with a cold market is that there are fewer buyers and more sellers, so your property may not be exciting enough. As such, you must ensure your house is at its best during the viewings.
After how many second viewings can you expect an offer?
A second viewing is an indicator of the buyer’s interest in your property. Buyers who are not serious will often not go beyond the first viewing. The reason is simple. Their interest was never genuine!
Even then, not every second visit will result in an offer. Some buyers may have a short list of several properties. Unlike the first viewing, there are no stats that tell how many second viewings will lead to an offer. People’s experiences are unique.
The most important thing you must know is that for a buyer to come back for a second viewing, they are interested in your property and want to ask questions pertaining to the area, bills, etc. Remember, the buyer may pull out when they find something better even after making an offer.
How do I get more viewings?
If you’re having a challenge getting viewings, there are things you can do to get some viewings. Here are some tips to help you increase your viewings:
- Spruce up your house. Getting some paintwork on the dull walls, scattering flowers and plants, and fixing your lightbulbs may be the key to the turnaround you need so badly. Crown it by having new pictures and you’ll be surprised at just how much interest your property that was once written off will generate
- Get the timing right. Timing is everything. Spring/summer months are usually the busiest for the property market. Since the Stamp Duty Holiday changed this for most of 2020 through to 2021, it’s better to get the perspective of your estate agent on this
- Review your price. Sometimes the reason you’re not getting any views is the price! Make sure you price your property competitively to attract potential buyers. A slight change in price may draw in more viewings
- Work with another estate agent. You may want to consider working with another estate agent or engaging multiple agents. This certainly increases visibility for your property and the likelihood of finding the right buyer
Although viewings are an integral process when selling your house, you must keep in mind that they don’t always get into double digits. This is partly because the number of viewings you’ll get is determined by an interplay of external factors like location, timing, and appearance among others.
