Viewing Time

Most landlords will recognise the tremendous importance of ensuring that as many prospective tenants as possible see their property. After all, more viewings means more tenant competition thereby maximising your chances of securing the highest rental the market will pay.

However, whilst one always has to be fair, there is a lot to be said for strategic viewing! A good letting agent will advise their clients to be selective when arranging a time for prospective purchasers to view the property. Indeed, if you are letting a property in which you have yourself lived, you are well placed to know when the best times of day are. Here are a few tips:

• Is the property on a school route? If so, during term time, it might be best to avoid the morning and afternoon drop-off and pick up times. If you are very close to a school, is it noisy during break-time?
• Likewise is the property near a pub, sports ground, or factory, which can have crowds of rowdy people spilling onto the street at certain times.
• Consider which way the property faces. Bright accommodation and a sunny garden are great letting points, so choose times when the position of the sun is at its best. Perhaps a follow-up viewing is best organised for a different time of day to highlight a feature that might have been missed initially.

Nevertheless, do remember that letting agents and landlords alike have a duty of care not to misrepresent, so if there is an issue, such as predictable noise at certain times of day, then this should be disclosed. However, the importance of a good first impression cannot be overstressed, to the extent that many people will dismiss a minor inconvenience after having first fallen in love with a property they would love to rent – hopefully yours!