Moving house or selling your property is a big step, so getting organised is key. There are a lot of practical things you need to think about, not to mention making your house look and feel attractive for potential buyers.
From improving the way your home looks to making sensible, practical decisions, read on for our top tips for preparing your house for sale.
Selling a house: Practical changes you can make
When preparing your property for sale it’s important that you make it look presentable. Make sure you put your buyers hat on and try to look at your property through a buyers perspective. Think about all of the factors you consider when looking at properties - Do you look at the outside of the property? Would you be put off by minor repairs? Is your home up to the right standard?
You don’t have to give your home a complete overhaul, in order for it to sell, in fact, some people will be looking for a ‘do-er upper’. However, it is worth giving things a refresh so you can create a good first impression.
Here we explain some of the practical changes you can make to your home.
Curb appeal is the way your property and its surrounding look when looked at from the street. As the first thing you see when you approach the property, if your home looks in disrepair from the outside, it could be enough to turn people away - there’s no point updating the inside if the outside looks untidy! The first thing you can do is ensure the front garden looks clean and tidy. Trim the bushes, cut the grass and pick up any litter that’s accumulated in the space.
If your home looks uncared for it’s hard for potential buyers to imagine themselves living there. Small repairs inside and outside the home are usually easy enough to repair and could be the difference between you secure a buyer or not. Holes in walls, cracked tiles and broken door knobs are just some of the minor repairs that you can do.
A messy house will not make someone’s dream home and the effect of an unclean room should never be underestimated. Chances are your current decor won’t be to the buyer’s taste, but making things look clean and presentable will still ensure that your home is attractive. However, if your property has an out of date decor or there’s nothing wrong with freshening things up with a neutral coat of paint.
Before viewing, be sure to tidy each room and put away any clutter. Make sure that toys and games are neatly in their boxes, don’t leave washing hanging over radiators or around the home and generally spruce up the space so it looks and smells great. It’s important that you strike the right balance between personality and showing your home’s potential. You don’t need the place to look like a hotel, in fact, seeing your home as it is can help buyers imagine their own family living there too.
As well as the aesthetic and practical changes you can do around the home, it’s also important that you find a good state agent. Hiring an estate agent is not always necessary but it can make a big difference to the entire process.
The agent will normally:
●Provide you with a property valuation and marketing price
●Market the property on their site
●Identify potential purchasers and organise and conduct the viewings
●Negotiate the terms of any potential offer between you and your new buyer
●Resolve any problems as they arise
Hiring a professional estate agent can reduce huge amounts of stress from the process and speed things up. Not only do they help with the negotiation side of things, but they have the experience to make your property attractive to buyers.
You should also remember:
● Choosing the first agent you meet - You don’t have to go with the first estate agent you find, in fact, it’s always best to shop around. Take a look at the type of properties they currently have on their books - Are they similar to yours? What are your first impressions? You need to feel comfortable with who you’ve chosen to sell your house so always take your time.
● Online estate agents - Many people forget about online estate agents as well as regular agents. Over the last few years, online agents have become more and more popular due to convenience as well as the reduction in fees.
Hire the right property solicitors
The conveyancing process begins when an offer has been accepted so the transfer of ownership can be moved from the seller to the buyer. This is an important part of buying and selling a property as it ensures that the new buyer does not become the legal owners without having paid the agreed amount. For sellers, conveyancing is usually a lot easier compared to the process when buying, but it’s still important to find the right solicitor who can provide the legal advice you need.
Here at PJE Solicitors, we understand how important it is to find a conveyancing solicitor that you can trust. When selling your home, whether it’s your first property or not, getting the legal side of things in order will ensure you don’t run into any major problems. Get in touch with our Cardiff or Pontypridd office today for more information.
Common mistakes when selling a property
Selling a property takes time and effort but if you try to rush the process or don’t do your research you could run into problems.
Here we explain some of the common pitfalls involved with selling a property.
According to Which , sellers who overestimate the value of their property may have to wait an additional two months to secure a sale. Setting a realistic price will make a big difference in buyers’ response to your home and it’s likely that you’ll end up reducing the price anyway. Always take advice from your estate agent about pricing as they’ll have knowledge of selling prices in the local area. Don’t be greedy as this could backfire and slow the whole process down - not practical if you’re part of a chain.
Deciding not to hire a conveyancer or solicitor can make things a lot more complicated. Unless you have the experience and knowledge needed to complete the legal process, it’s always best to hire an expert in the field. If you’re trying to save money it could end up as a costly mistake when you realise how much work you will need to do.
Selling your house requires you to be flexible. This means being open to showing your house day and night to fit in with peoples schedule and being open-minded when it comes to negotiating offers. Being too strict can be a major turn off and could leave you with nothing so always think things through before making any decisions.
PJE Solicitors: The property solicitors you can trust
Here at PJE Solicitors , based in Cardiff and Pontypridd, we can help you whether you’re buying or selling your home. Our conveyancing solicitors are on hand to provide support for all of your conveyancing needs, reducing stress and preventing any major problems from occurring. For more information, get in touch today.