ADVICE FOR VENDORS

When you put your kennel property on the market for sale, it's exciting, and each time you get a call to arrange a viewing appointment, you're filled with anticipation. This viewing could be the one; the buyer could fall in love with the property, and you'll be on your way to moving into your next home.

You carefully prepare every inch of your home, cleaning and polishing, plumping cushions and perhaps even staging areas of your property, replicating the images from glossy property magazines.

So much effort is made into presenting the property just right, making it look perfect. You greet them warmly and make polite conversation, highlighting the best features, answering endless questions about your business and hoping that they fall in love with it, just like you did before you moved in.

If a viewer can't buy your property yet, you may ask what is the point of preparing everything for the appointment? In fact, what is the point of letting them come and view at all? They couldn't start buying your property even if they want it, and you will be cleaning and preparing for no reason.

Sellers frequently ask this when they begin to lose patience in the marketing process, but it is a very damaging view. It can be frustrating to keep showing your property to viewers without getting offers, but you never know which buyer the property will be perfect for. If you refuse viewings to anyone who is not in a position to buy straight away, you could put them off altogether. They might decide not to view ever, even once they do have a sale agreed on their own property, and they could have been the perfect buyer for your property - now you'll never know.

If you refuse a viewer, you are narrowing your pool of potential buyers and this is diametrically opposed to what we aim for when selling a property. The aim of the game is to appeal to as many buyers as possible. What if a viewer who hasn't sold their property falls head over heels in love with your home, and they have a secret stash of cash squirrelled away or a rich aunty who would happily loan them some money, or they may manage to sell very quickly?

The point is, you just never know, and if you refuse viewings from people for whatever reason, you are reducing your pool of potential buyers, which will reduce the chances of getting a sale. The key is ensuring that applicants are qualified in terms of their ability to buy or borrow. This way, you and your agent will know who the viewers are, if they have cash stashed or a house to sell, and what stage that property sale is at.

Of course, there is never a guarantee that any viewing will result in an offer. But, if you don't let people see the property, they will definitely not buy it. Regardless of their buying power, they don't need to have everything in place right now. As long as there is a way to raise the funds to buy your property, then they are a potential buyer. If they love your kennel/cattery and need to sell their own property, they might be prepared to reduce their price in the pursuit of a quick sale. You just never know. Remember the kennel and cattery market is extremely niche and achieving a sale can take anything from two weeks to two years.