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Property Selling Advice
An Estate Agent sells a house - you sell your home!
Tips for how to sell your own home without using an estate agent.
First impressions are lasting ones, so you need to do your best to make the most of your property to capture your potential buyer's imagination. You want them go away thinking about what it would be like to live in your home.
There is only one reason that your property won't sell, and unfortunately that is the PRICE.
If you want to sell your home then you need to be realistic about the price - the secret is to get people through the door.
Once you have had your viewings and negotiated your selling price then the property sale will be dealt with by your appointed solicitor in the same way as if you had sold your property through a traditional estate agent.
Consider using a Sale Board as this will help to maximise your selling potential.
Bear in mind the Stamp Duty Threshold.
Pricing your property into the next Stamp Duty Threshold could make quite a difference to the buyer’s budget.
Top Tips
- Display fresh flowers.
- Place a variety of brightly-coloured fresh fruit in a bowl.
- Ensure the beds are made.
- Try not to leave any laundry lying about.
- Put away any laundry that you have hanging out to dry, as this is likely to make the room feel small and cluttered.
- If you have children, store all toys out of the way, inside and outside.
- Not everyone is okay with pets, so consider asking a neighbour to look after them while you have a viewing.
- Make sure your worksurfaces are clean and clutter-free.
- Clean and tidy bathrooms.
- Place air fresheners around your property.
- Freshly hoover and mop kitchen floors.
- Mow the grass, tidy patios and make the garden as pretty as possible.
- If you need to redecorate, use neutral colours as these are likely to appeal to more buyers.
- Keep all lights on (at night) during your viewing.
- Leave all internal doors open in order to maximise the light in your property and make it feel more spacious.
- Let the buyer walk into the room first as this will increase their sense of space.
- Leave your best room until last to finish your tour on a high.
- Before arranging a viewing, ask what their position is - for example, are they cash buyers, is their home under offer or has it just been put on the market?
- Welcome any feedback, good or bad, and try not to take it personally - everyone has different tastes. Use the feedback to give you ideas on how your can improve your property and make it more attractive to sellers.
- Present your home in a way in which you would like to view other properties yourself.
- BUT, and this is a BIG BUT, do not lie or exaggerate about anything, as this is a surefire way to lose your buyer. After all, honesty is the best policy!
Preparing for Moving Day
Saying goodbye to your home can be stressful, but getting yourselves organised will minimise your stress levels and help to make the move an easy and successful one.
It's a good idea to get at least three removal firm's quotes unless you have been recommended one that you are happy with, or you are moving yourselves.
Ensure you have plenty of strong boxes of varying sizes. Mark your boxes in order of rooms or belongings - for instance, 'Bedroom 1,2,3', 'Lounge', 'Kitchen', etc. This will make things a lot easier when moving into your new home as the removal men can put your boxes into the right rooms.
Check the removal company know where they are going and you have each other's phone numbers.
Remember to take a meter reading and cancel all suppliers, eg phone, electric, gas, etc.
Don't forget that you will have to hand over the keys to your house so make sure you've spoken to your solicitor to confirm all monies have cleared before you do so. Make sure you have given them all the keys and alarm codes to the property.
Get your Documents Together
- EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)
- Window and door guarantees
- Conservatory guarantee
- Planning permission
- Gas and electrical certificate
- Building regulations certificates
- Council tax, utility, buildings and contents insurance bills (so that potential buyers can estimate the running costs)
- Service charges and ground rent bills (for flats)
Photographs
When taking photos, it's a good idea to take all cars off the driveway, as this will make the front of the house look bigger. People will remember cars when looking at houses on the Internet.
Take several pictures of both inside and outside the property. This may take a few attempts to get it right, but it will be worth the hassle as the pictures are what the potential buyer will see first.
Try and make the rooms look as large, homely, and tidy as possible.
You have a small window of time to grab the buyer’s attention, so try and capture your home's wow factor.
Remember, when someone walks through the door you have one chance to impress them so they make an offer.
Negotiating Offers
Once you have received an offer, be prepared to negotiate, but remember, you don't have to sell to the highest bidder. In fact, a lower bidder might be better if they:
- Are paying cash (in which case they won't have to wait for a mortgage approval).
- Already have a mortgage 'agreed in principle'.
- Don't have to sell a property first (they could be first-time buyers or investors) or are in a short chain.
All of these reasons mean they are likely to be able to fit in with your timescales better than other buyers.
However, never ask if they are going to make an offer - everyone needs time to think so make sure you have their phone number to do a follow-up call instead.