Property Viewing Agents Shropshire | Viewber Diaries
Property Viewing Agents Shropshire
Hi, I’m Ali and I am a Viewber newbie – only started 4 months ago!
I always dreamt of living in a humongous chocolate box cottage in the countryside with acres of land, having oodles of money and travelling the world – who doesn’t!
In reality, I live in a tiny, terraced cottage in the historical town of Bridgnorth, Shropshire with my husband and our barmy cocker spaniel Archie. I don’t have acres of land but do have a lovely small cottage garden.
I have a passion for art, photography and antiques and an obsession for holidays and thrifting!
My career path started as a Draughtsperson, progressing to a Graphic Designer and for the past 27 years as an operations Manager for a stone manufacturing company.
After redundancy, I took the decision to completely change direction and applied to become a Viewber Member – and to my delight I was accepted.
I absolutely love Victorian houses and over the years I have renovated several properties. I also have knowledge of buying and selling in Spain. When I saw the advertisement to become a Viewber Member, I thought this is something I could do! Who doesn’t love looking at houses and meeting people!
My favourite part being a Viewber so far is completing the floor plans. I love the fact that I can work freelance as it gives me the chance to paint, holiday, go fishing, and shop for antiques. Any spare time I spend watching house related programmes – Location, Location, Location, Homes under the Hammer, A place in the Sun, Flipping Vegas and Salvage Hunters.
As I am new to this, so far, the most interesting experience I have had was attending an Open House appointment. One of the viewers showed me what he looks for when attending a property that is listed for auction, and any issues and how easy or difficult it would be to correct. On this occasion the viewer was very interested as he saw no major problems and was planning to bid at auction!
As far as tips go for fellow Viewber Members, I have a back up box that I keep in my car. It contains spare batteries for a laser measure, a tape measure, a torch, spare pens and pencils, graph paper, charger and cable for my phone, air freshener, cleaning wipes, hand gel, a notebook and my kindle (passes the time if any no shows or if I get to the appointment really early)
I also try and wear something with pockets as sometimes I don’t have enough hands!
Prior to appointments I make sure to print details of the property and check travel time. I always aim to arrive approximately 20 minutes prior to the appointed time and as I am a bit of a flapper when it comes to parking, I google search the street and surrounding area before leaving home.
Upon arrival for a viewing, I check all is well within the property, if there happens to be a damp smell I spray a bit of air freshener and open a window or two. Put all lights on and unlock rear doors in readiness for viewers.
Once appointment is complete, I close any windows, lock doors, switch off lights, then I go round and check again. Once locked I take photo of the locked doors and key safe. For a viewing appointment I normally complete the feedback in my car. For more detailed floor plans etc, I complete once home.
My future plans include obtaining ECP qualification as I feel this is a natural progression.
From experience in the property market, I feel that there will continue to be an increasing demand for properties that cater for an ageing population, resulting in the need for more assisted living and retirement communities. I also believe that city properties will become more desirable again as more people are heading back to office-based work after Covid.
My top tip for a new Viewber Member is to make sure you read exactly what is required prior to attending an appointment. Be sure to print and highlight anything that is important or that you may forget. Initially it can be a bit daunting but the more appointments you attend, the more confidence you gain. There are always good and bad points at properties – focus on the positives.
I absolutely love being a Viewber and the varied work is great for me. The Viewber Training Academy is fantastic, and it helps me progress and learn new aspects. Personally, I think Viewber as a company offers an excellent service to the real estate industry and beyond.
Happy Viewings!
