How to get your home ready to sell
Are you thinking of moving? Take a look at our top tips for making your sale as successful, quick, and hassle-free as possible.
Choose the right estate agent.
Here’s a list to help you know what to look for when choosing an agent:
• How experienced are they in your area?
• Have they successfully sold properties similar to yours recently? Find out how long it took them, what prices were achieved, and the difference between their initial asking price and the sold price, if any.
• When it comes to the fee the agent charges, usually the most important things to keep in mind are:
1. The amount of money the house sells, for the sold price minus the agent’s fee.
2. How quickly the sale will happen.
In other words, going with an agent who charges slightly less commission but takes much longer to sell your property – and then achieving a lower price – may be false economics.
Dealing with an estate agent who provides excellent service, is responsive, proactive, and is an expert in your local area will make a massive difference to the whole experience and will most likely sell your house faster.
Get the price right.
Don’t be swayed by the agent promising the highest price for your home. It’s tempting, but if you end up over-pricing the property, it will only prolong the process, and you’ll have to reduce the price further down the line anyway. A study we carried out found that you were twice as likely to sell your home if it sold based on the first listed asking price.
Instead, ask the agent to provide evidence to support why they recommend that asking price. And again, look at their recent history in the area.
Getting your home ready: decluttering and photography
You’ll want to spend some time decluttering and making your home look as presentable and attractive as possible so that as soon as you’ve instructed your agent, they can get straight to work.
The quality of the photos that appear online plays a big part in determining the level of interest the property will get. Low-quality photos of cluttered and messy rooms put some people off, whilst high-resolution images of bright, tidy, well-presented homes are attention magnets.
An important note on photography – today’s technology can produce extremely high-resolution images, videos, and virtual tours, which is great. But be mindful that you don’t reveal more of your home than you should. Private documents, medical papers, financial information, or anything that shows personal information about you should be kept out of view.
Here are some ideas to make your home look amazing when it’s on display:
1. Make it light and airy
Darker rooms generally look smaller than lighter ones, which can be a big turn-off for potential buyers. So we’d suggest ensuring that blinds are open and curtains are apart to flood your home with light.
2. Keep the garden tidy
The front garden is the first thing a potential buyer will see, so make sure you give them a reason to smile immediately.
Similarly, the back garden can be a deal clincher, and an impressive outdoor space could set your home apart from the rest.
3. Bathrooms and kitchens
These two rooms are the most expensive for a buyer to upgrade. However, if you’ve made an effort to clean and declutter them, you’ll give potential buyers another reason to be optimistic about your home. So, here are some of our top tips:
Bathroom:
• Making this room mould-free is a must
• Store toiletries away where possible
• Clean shower doors
• Keep the toilet seat down
Kitchen:
• Keep worktops tidy
• Keep utensils organised and food in cupboards
• Put washing up away
• Clean the windows
• Tidy away any indication of pets being in the house, as your prospective buyer may not be a pet lover
Source How to get your home ready to sell - https://www.rightmove.co.uk/news/articles/property-news/how-do-i-get-my-home-ready-to-sell/