Six Tips for a Quick Sale
Just like the seasonal flowers appearing in your garden, the property market also blooms into life at the first signs of spring. After dark winter days, the budget-busting Christmas over-spend and busy holiday period, spring and it’s lighter evenings brings a welcome breath of fresh air – and with it a plethora of house hunters all looking to find their next home. If you want to sell your house or flat, take advantage of the season and get to it. It’s easier than you may think, with our top tips:
1. Spring Clean
First things first. Give your home a spring clean and get around to those jobs that you’ve been putting off. Fix door handles, shelving units and all of those things you’ve put on the back-burner to refresh your home. Don’t forget to de-clutter and de-personalise as you go. You may love your extensive ornament collection, but there’s no guarantee that potential buyers will – and yes, while it is still your home, if you’ve made the decision to sell, your house needs to appeal to as many people as possible.
One simple way of doing this is by reducing the amount of personal items you have on-show, to allow them to imagine their things in that space. If you’d really like to wow house hunters, treat your walls to a touch of TLC, with a coat of fresh paint… you can never go wrong with magnolia!
2. Spruce Things Up
The clean-up isn’t just confined to your home’s interior, remember to spruce things up outside too! Remove weeds, mow the lawns and add kerb appeal with hanging baskets and pretty plants. Many buyers see the garden as an extra room, so with spring on your side, make the most of yours!
3. Target Your Market
Something that many of us can forget when selling our homes is to utilise and ‘sell’ our space, in the best way and with the right market in mind. For example, if you have a two bedroom house and are using one room as an office, have a think about whether this is what your likely buyer will use it as. In some areas, this will work, but in most it would be better to turn this space back into a bedroom. Think about first time buyers, young families and even those downsizing, all would most probably prefer another bedroom, over an office. The less a buyer needs to think about how they would use a room, it seems ready-made and therefore easier to move their lives into.
4. Find The Right Agent
Finding your trusted estate agent can be tricky – how do you choose? With different fees and valuations, deciding on the right people to sell your beloved home can be a minefield. However,
it needn’t be, especially if you go with your gut feeling. It’s always recommended to meet three agents and get their valuations and thoughts on your property. From there, see who you can relate to personally and who understands your needs. You’ll also see their motivation and get an idea of their experience of the local market. Don’t feel pressured to sell with agents who you may buy through either. This is a big decision that you need to trust your instinct on. Don’t forget, it’s also cheaper to instruct a sole-agent rather than having a few, if you’re concerned about
keeping costs down.
5. Give A Warm and Friendly Welcome
Of course, it is still spring and some days may be chilly, so to give the warmest welcome, pop on the heating and offer potential buyers a warming cuppa, to get them feeling cosy! If they feel relaxed, they will instantly feel at home, which is the aim! Scents are really important when giving a homely feel to a room and traditionally, smells like home baking, freshly brewed coffee and freshly cut flowers always rank highly with those purchasing homes, however recently white tea and fig combinations have also proven popular, as a clean scent.
6. Make Your Home Light, Bright and Beautiful
Nights may be starting to draw out, but usually the sun sets around 8pm, which means that some viewings could still take place as it starts to get dark. Appointments in the light are preferred, so that viewers can fully take in all the details of their potential new home. If this is inconvenient, you can still showcase your home, just make your home light and bright! Turn on flattering lamps,
rather than having the full beam glare from ceiling lights and maybe light some candles to add to that cosy atmosphere.
Questions To Ask When Buying Your New Home.
You may be selling, but chances are you are starting to look for your very own new home too. So, what should you be asking agents as you go on viewings?
Why is the owner selling and how long have they lived there?
Try to find out a little about the seller’s position to uncover not only how quickly they want to move and their personal circumstances, but why they want to move too – is it a new job overseas, do they need a bigger family home, or is there problems with the house, or noisy neighbours?!
What is included in the sale?
You need to know exactly what you are paying for. Don’t be afraid to ask if you are getting the fixtures and fittings, the shed or the greenhouse, to put your mind at ease.
What is the minimum price the seller will accept?
Asking this question could save you thousands of pounds. It’s in the estate agent’s best interests to get a property sold, so they will usually hint at the lowest price their client would consider.
Can they tell you about the neighbourhood?
How do local sc
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