Property Guides

Buying:

  1. General Buying Tips
  2. The Buying Process
  3. Getting a Survey
  4. Conveyancing
  5. The Legal Stages
  6. Completion & Moving
  7. First Time Buyers

Selling:

  1. General Selling Tips
  2. Moving Check-List

Renting:

  1. General Renting Tips
  2. Your Responsibilities

Letting:

  1. General Landlord Tips
  2. Tenants & Property
  3. Buying to Let

Overseas:

  1. Country Guides

Investment Property

  1. Investment Property 1
  2. Investment Property 2
  3. Investment Property 3
  4. Choices Acquisitions
  5. Free Tutorial

General Tips for Sellers

To find an Estate Agent in your area please click here.

In this section:

  1. Payment is made
  2. Moving check-list
1. Target Market and Timing
The first step to selling your property quickly and painlessly is to consider your target market. Who do you think might buy your property? Then try to tailor your space to appeal to the main group while not alienating other groups that might also be interested. So if you feel a professional couple would be ideal, then turn the 2nd Bed/office back into a bedroom and make a space for a workstation elsewhere in the house. This will ensure the house still appeals to a young couple with a small child. Spring Feb/Mar and Autumn Sept are the key times to sell your property when traditionally demand outstrips supply and therefore prices are usually at their most buoyant.
2. De-Clutter and De-Personalise
Potential buyers need to imagine themselves living in your house, so get rid of ornaments and photos - especially posters in kids bedrooms. Put things you don't really use on a daily basis in the attic or storage. Big pieces of furniture should also go into storage and make rooms feel much bigger. Focus on the hallway - clear away coats/clutter, the bathroom - hide all your products, and the kitchen - clear the work surfaces of appliances, jars, tins etc and replace the ragged tea towels and smelly bin.
3. Freshen up
A fresh coat of neutral paint, new tiling or lino, and a couple of new kitchen doors can do wonders to smarten up a tired looking property. If you can't stretch to re-tiling in the bathroom re-grouting should bring it up new. As will putting in matching chrome fittings, replacing broken light bulbs, freshly painted front door, ironed sheets in the bedroom, taking down any heavy dark drapes, up-lighters in the living room for subtle lighting and strategically placed flowers throughout.
4. Clean up
If you'd rather not re-decorate, then it's essential that the house is spotless. It will be money well spent to get the industrial cleaners in to really make the place sparkle - get the carpets, sofa covers, oven and windows cleaned while you're at it. Pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms, which need to be inviting and hygienic, by finishing with a new loo seat, fresh white towels and a strategically placed plant or two. Watch out for over-stuffed wardrobes - yes people to look in them to see how much storage is there - so have a clear out. Finally gardens are now seen as an additional room, so make it feel like a great entertaining or relaxing space.
5. Instructing an Estate Agent & Solicitor
Always try to get 3 agents round to value your property. Don't necessarily go for the one with the highest valuation or one that you may also buy through - it's an old trick to win instructions. Many agents will also often try tie you into a 12week exclusive contract - negotiate the minimum time you can, so that if you are not happy with the service, you can change or go multi agency. You'll want someone you can relate to, is very active in the local market, is keen to sell it and has fair agreement. Preparation is key so it's a good idea to instruct a solicitor to do your conveyancing early. Ask them to prepare a draft contract and apply for the title deeds, while you pull together all your paperwork on the property ie all building certificates for any structural building work carried out and any valid work guarantees ie word worm, damp etc.
6. Costs
With Estate Agents fees it's cheaper to sell sole agency than multi, so for the first 4 weeks I recommend staying with one agent and giving them the best chance and motivation to sell it fast. Always try to negotiate on agent's fees and ensure you have the final fee agreed in writing. Also ask your solicitor to fully explain all costs associated with selling. Finally find out from your mortgage lender if you will be hit with any redemption penalties. Then you'll know at what price you can afford to sell.
7. Valuation & Selling Prices
Valuing property is not an exact science and many factors are taken into consideration. Agents don't charge for valuations so try to get three as a minimum. By using a tool such as Hometrack's Property Report you will have a head start on establishing the right price for your property. Take your report along to your chosen Estate Agent and using his comparables and the report, you should be able to agree a realistic price for your property.
8. Get the word out
Always have a board up and tell your neighbours - word of mouth is a powerful tool and you never know who might live just round the corner and have been waiting for your house to come to the market.
9. Preparing for Viewings
Everyone knows first impressions count and you'll want the house to appeal to as many people as possible, as the more people there are that like the property, the higher the selling price should be. So sweep up and make sure the front yard and hall to your house are tidy and inviting. Leave the pets with a neighbour, and thoroughly clean up any cat hair especially as many people are allergic to animal hair. Turn the lights and heating on, air out the house and don't smoke or cook a curry before viewings. If you've got parking, leave the space for the buyer it will add to the whole experience.
10. Showing a Property
You'll probably be paying an agent to do this; they know their job so I always recommend being out when viewings are arranged. If you do have to show your property then decide before hand what order you will show the rooms, then guide them round the property once, showing the best rooms first or last. Don't overload them with detail i.e. the size of your boiler or the trouble with the neighbour's cat. On the first viewing be business like, then if they are interested you can get to know someone more on the second viewing. Never point out problems or issues, but feel free to add the odd positive point like a south facing garden, or very easy parking. Finally invite them to take another tour round the property on their own - but don't go off and make a phone call - be on hand to answer queries.
11. Choosing the best Buyer
The person who offers the highest price is not always the best choice. Listen to your agents advice re buyers and push them to find out as much about the buyers circumstances as possible. Firstly how are they financing the purchase? Cash buyer is the best, but if they are raising a mortgage ask to see a Mortgage 'in principle' letter from their lender. Are they First Time buyers? If so they will need some hand holding by the agent and could protract conveyancing. Do they have a Related Transaction? If they have something to sell, then if should be under offer before taking your property off the market - also find out about any forward chains that could complicate agreeing completion dates further down the line. Additional Purchasers or Buyers Returning to the market are usually good news - as long as their finances are in place, then there are less hurdles to encounter than the other two types of purchaser. A buyer who is represented by a professional Home Search Consultant is also very good news, as t hey will push the deal through on their side of the fence too.
12. Accepting Offers
Your agent will be the middleman and should present every offer that is made. Insist that they have all the background information to hand on the buyer's position and ability to move quickly and ask that offers be made in writing. Market conditions, competition and how much they love the property will dictate what buyers will offer. Similarly what price you will be prepared to accept will depend on market conditions, how quickly you need to sell and what your moving budget is. Compromise is often the key on both sides to securing a deal. Also know whether you want to keep all your furniture, curtains and white goods as many of these items may not suit your next home, and can be used as effective bargaining tools to get the price you want.
13. Holding the deal together
This is where the hard work starts and the longer it takes to reach exchange of contracts the higher the chances of the deal falling out of bed or gazundering i.e. the buyer dropping their price. So keep in weekly contact with your solicitor and agent to ensure channels of communication stay open and you know where the conveyancing is at and how your buyer is feeling about the progress of the transaction i.e. are they are still highly motivated and not off looking at other things to keep their options open.