If this is your first time putting your much loved, first home on the market then you might feel a little daunted at the prospect of estate agents, fees and dealing with buyers who want something for nothing (and there are plenty of those out there!)
Here’s how to have an effective sale with minimum stress and maximum asking price (hopefully):
Choose the right estate agent
Your choice of estate agent will make all the difference to the sale of your house. Some are more proactive than others and ensure everything is informed and perfect before going ahead with any marketing or listings. The Telegraph advises that you look for an estate agent who is not biased towards the buyer, because this can have an impact on the final value of your sale as they know why you’re selling and disclose information to the buyer that will encourage them to ask for a lower price and pressure you.
Alternatively, if you want to get out of your property quickly for whatever reason you could opt to sell your house fast with We Buy Any Home, a service that aims to offer you a cash buy on your property, at a price as close to the market value as possible.
Prep your home properly
When selling your home it’s important to take some time to clean your property to ensure it appears welcoming, tidy and in order. Buyers notice things like an unkempt front lawn, weird smells, peeling wallpaper and missing door handles – and these odd jobs can easily be wrapped up on a Saturday afternoon after a quick trip to your local DIY store.
Don’t remain emotionally attached
It will be hard when it comes to selling your first home, after all, you invested a lot of time, money and love into the house and so leaving will be hard. However, try not to remain emotionally attached – especially when people are viewing the property and perhaps comment on how much they hate a feature you particularly love. It will make things much easier down the line.
Double check the value of your house
Your estate agent will estimate how much your house is worth, but to be sure you’re getting the best deal check what other properties on your street or in the area have gone for in the past six months to determine if they are making the right call. If you feel like your valuation isn’t quite right, be sure to query it.
Sites such as Rightmove and Zoopla now show you how much properties are valued at in the area or you could head to the Land Registry website for in depth details on property valuations. Being informed and doing your research is a big part of a successful property sale, no one likes to find out six months down the line that their house was undervalued to ensure a quick sale that got the estate agent a nice bonus.
When it comes to selling a property it’s imperative you take time before making decisions, read the small print and query anything you aren’t unsure of and also plan in advance for issues and extra costs. Careful consideration and knowledge is key to guaranteeing a successful first sale.