Location, Location, Location’s Phil Spencer explains why you SHOULDN’T say you ‘love’ a house at a viewing – and reveals estate agents are trained to monitor a buyer’s body language
- Location, Location, Location star Phil Spencer has shared house buying tips
- Explained you should never show your hand by saying you ‘love’ a property
- Revealed estate agents will look for clues – including monitoring body language
TV property expert Phil Spencer has shared his advice for how to get the best deal when buying a house.
The Location, Location, Location host, 49, explained estate agents are trained to look for any clues as to how a potential buyer feels about a property – including monitoring body language.
Speaking on his Move IQ podcast, Phil advised house-hunters to play their cards close to their chest and avoid using terms like ‘love’ during a viewing.
TV property expert Phil Spencer has shared his advice for how to get the best deal when buying a house, including playing your cards close to your chest. Stock image
‘As you walk around the house he’ll [the estate agent] be watching body language and conversations between you and your partner,’ Phil explained to co-host Chris Ducker.
Phil’s top search tips
In a separate episode of his podcast, Phil offered advice on how to view a property effectively:
Don’t be late, turn up early
Use that time to look up and down the street, what are the neighbours like, what is the parking like?
Keep to the 10 second rule
A house – and a buyer – only has 10 seconds to make a first impression. Make yours count.
Start with a quick look
Get your bearings with a quick tour before going back through
Don’t be seduced by fixtures or fittings
None of these will be there when you move in
Do viewings at different times
This will give you a more holistic view of what it will be like to live there
‘They’re trained to do the job, they’re trained to sell the house for the most money possible.’
‘So don’t give too many buying signals. Be honest if you like the house but don’t say you love the house or that you’ll do anything it takes to buy it.
‘Don’t say, “oh, my granny died last week and I’m actually about to get an extra couple of grand”. Things like that you probably keep up your sleeves.
‘I’ve seen it happen. You’ve got to control your emotions. I’ve seen people get flushed, get giddy, get a bit silly…
‘But the negotiation has already begun.’
Phil explained all of this information is stored by the estate agent and used to inform future negotiations.
Buyers who show their hand too early risk being taken advantage of as the agent knows he or she is very keen to complete.
‘People assume that the negotiations begin when you ring up the estate agent and say this is what I’m willing to offer for the house,’ he said. ‘In fact, the sales agent has been sizing you up from the very moment that he met you.’
Phil and his co-star Kirstie Allsopp have been a prime-time fixture on our TV screens for nearly two decades, hosting popular shows such as Location, Location, Location. Stock image
Phil also warned against mistaking the asking price for a valuation, saying an asking price is a ‘valuation with a bit of ambition and hopes and dreams added’.
Phil and his co-star Kirstie Allsopp have been a prime-time fixture on our TV screens for nearly two decades, hosting popular shows such as Location, Location, Location.
Speaking to This Is Money in May, Spencer shared his top tips for adding value to your home, including re-painting the front and tidying the garden.
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