Selling your home can seem like a long and complicated process, so we have created our top 10 tips to help you sell your home. We have been selling homes for over 3 decades, so we know exactly how to get things organised.
1. Get yourself sale ready
One of the main things that can slow down a sale is because the seller is also looking to buy elsewhere. Prepare yourself where possible by organising a solicitor, speaking to your mortgage advisor and having all your documents in order. This will save valuable time and reduce the window potential buyers have to pull the plug on the deal.
2. Make an instant impression
First impressions really do count and potential buyers will quickly decide if the property is for them or not. Improve the property’s kerb appeal by tidying up the front garden, giving the front door a fresh lick of paint and generally making visitors feel they are walking into a place they could call home in the future.
3. De-personalise where possible
When a potential buyer walks into your home, they start imagining themselves living there. If you remove clutter and excess personal items they can project their own lives into the space more easily. Put these into storage and it will help sell the property much easier.
4. Fix and repair
If you’ve impressed from the outside, you’ll want to do the same inside. This means fixing anything that may be broken, such as door handles, lighting fixtures or shelving units. Fill in any cracks and chips on the wall and brighten up the interior with a new paint job. This is especially true in the bathroom and kitchen which will be inspected closely by buyers.
5. Find a reputable estate agent
Choosing the right estate agent is very important to achieving the correct sale process. You should always ask estate agents how they plan to promote your property for sale and the audience who will they will be aiming at. A reputable estate agent will already a healthy list of potentially interested buyers and be proactive in securing potential new property leads.
6. Organise an open house event
A good estate agent in St Albans may also suggest holding an open-house event, where groups of registered buyers can come and visit your home in one set time-slot. It means not having to arrange separate times for each one and potentially speeds up the process of you receiving an offer.
7. Be flexible wherever possible
It may be a seller’s market in St Albans but you have to be flexible to find the right buyer for your home. If a buyer would like an evening viewing, even after you’ve had a long, difficult day, try to avoid saying no, as they could be the one that puts down the offer you’ve been waiting for.
8. Arrange for a pet sitter
Not every buyer in St Albans is going to be a fan of pets or the hairs and odours they can leave behind. It may makemore sense to ask a friend or family member to look after them whilst viewings take place, leaving your house cleaner and more inviting to more people.
9. Utilise your estate agent’s experience
If you trust an estate agent to sell your home, you should also trust them to help you with any property-related questions you may have. They deal with properties in St Albans every day of the year, so they know their stuff. They can help prepare you for any question’s buyers may ask, so you provide the right info as and when.
10. Keep out of the way
When buyers come to your home, let them have the freedom to look around with the agent. They only have a small window to base their decision on and need to feel relaxed. Don’t follow them round or stand in rooms with them – that will only hurry them back out of the front door.
11. Get started!
There’s no time like the present, so why not get prepared with a free valuation from our property team. You can also get in touch with our friendly team of estate agents and letting agents by sending an e-mail at sales@daniels.uk.net or giving us a call on (01727) 836561.