Now I am not suggesting that someone would leave home with no intention of buying or renting a property only to find they return with a 4 bedroom house in their shopping bag, however I think in principal the same impulse is needed when finding a new home.

Knowing that a property needs to be presented at its best to generate the “impulse” to buy or rent, it’s always a shame when this presentation lets the property down. In most cases a small amount of decorating work, dressing of the property, some new furniture, or just a deep clean can dramatically improve the chances to achieve this.

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea is very much at the luxury end of the market in London and our applicants are successful individuals who have dedicated themselves to their work.

This dedication leaves them with little time to do the necessary “home work” that is needed when finding a new home and as a result we will often book in viewings at the end of the applicant’s working day. This can in itself present issues; viewing at night can mean aspects such as the natural light and any feature aspect may not be noticed. Viewings as an average last about 5-10 minutes and at the end of the viewing the applicant is expected to express their interest.

With a demanding career and a busy social schedule applicants don’t always request a second viewing and can be expected to make an offer from the initial 5 minute viewing.

That’s not long I hear you say given that they are about to enter into a fairly substantial financial commitment. That is why it is absolutely crucial that you present your property in its best possible condition to create the all important first impressions as this could be vital to securing a tenant quickly.

Take this as an example. We were instructed to market a spacious 2 double bedroom property on Drayton Gardens, Chelsea, SW10 for £700 per week. The flat had great potential except the carpet was old and the decoration scheme included all the colours of the rainbow.

At the initial meeting, we advised the Landlord that in its current decorative condition there would most probably be objections from prospective tenants and in order to address these, it would be advisable to paint the flat in a neutral colour and to replace the carpets throughout.

However, the Landlord at the time felt the decorative condition was more than acceptable and did not want to take our advice, so we proceeded with viewings immediately. Most applicants (of which there were many) could not see through the colour scheme and after 2 months or so of these viewings and receiving the same feedback, the Landlord took our advice and decided to make the changes previously recommended.

Low and behold within 2 weeks of this decision we agreed a new tenancy at the asking price and the tenant was ready to move in on the day the decorations where completed!

In most cases Agent’s commission will be unaffected by the length of time it has taken to seal a deal as commission is based upon the price achieved and does not take into account the time taken. As such, it is imperative that you choose an agent that is not afraid to tell you that your curtains went out of date at the end of the millennium, that pink striped wallpaper is not to everyone’s taste and that you should never, ever, have a mirror on the bedroom ceiling!

As an Independent ARLA Agent we provide a personalised service and will always make recommendations (if necessary!) to enhance your property no matter how delicate a subject this may be.

I am a firm believer that in the long term, having an honest approach regarding all matters is the only way to provide the tailor made service that Farrar & Co offer.