Getting Your Home Ready for Sale

If you are thinking of marketing your home this year, here are our top tips on getting your property ready for sale. There are record numbers of homebuyers looking right now, so it’s important to make sure you give yourself the best chance of attracting them.

How much is your home worth?

A better question may be, ‘what is someone willing to pay for your property?’

Getting the pricing right for your property is one of the areas where a good estate agent can add significant value.

If you overprice a property it may take longer to sell. Conversely, if you price the property too low, you risk selling it undervalue and not achieving the best price.

The price at which you should market your property is a combination of elements which together will create the best price strategy for your property and include factors such as recent sale prices in the area, current market conditions and your own motivation for selling. Knowing what other properties have sold for in your local area will give you a guide to a base level for your pricing. It will also give a guide as to the general levels of interest in each property type in your neighbourhood.

If you are interested in finding out the value of your property in the current market our very knowledgeable team can conduct in person valuations which are free of charge and of course no obligation.

Advantages of using an estate agent

Spencers New Forest is the leading independent estate agency for the New Forest offering a trusted, reliable and professional service. Managing the sales process from beginning to end, we pride ourselves on our levels of service. Our aim is to make your sale as successful, quick, and hassle-free as possible.

Key services include

• Providing an accurate property valuation
• Marketing your property through dedicated web coverage and across all the major national property portals such as Rightmove or Zoopla
• Identify potential purchasers
• Organise and conduct the viewings
• Negotiate the terms of any potential offer between you and your new buyer
• Maintain the momentum of the transaction and help resolve any problems as they arise

Preparing your property

Once you have decided to put your property on the market it’s important to make sure you are ready for the marketing process. To give you the best possible chance of success you need to take a proactive approach and always be at the ready for viewings, even if they are at short notice.

First impressions really do count, whether that is the portrayal of your property online or through physical viewings.

Property Details

Having images that show your property at its best will generate interest. Make sure you spend some time de-cluttering and making your home look as presentable and attractive as possible. High quality images of bright, tidy, well-presented homes will catch a buyer’s attention.

Viewings

The way your property is presented from the outside, or it’s curb-appeal, will set up the way a potential buyer feels about the property when they first arrive. Many buyers may do a ‘drive by’ in advance to get a first look at the outside of the property beforehand and so maintaining a proactive approach to keeping things neat and tidy will make all the difference, even before the viewing.

Some of the things to consider are:

• Keeping the garden tidy and remove any dead plants and ideally replacing them with something fresh
• Clean windows and washing down and painting front doors if they are looking tired
• If the bins live outside, tuck them away in a tidy corner, so they are not the first thing you see!
• If the front door mat is frayed and dirty, replace it
• If you have outside light, make sure that they are working and switched on for evening viewings
• If you normally squeeze several cars on to your driveway, try parking around the corner to give your potential buyer space to pull in as if they already lived there
• Plants and pots that frame the front door will make a welcoming entrance
• If there is a communal hallway to your property, even though it may not be part of your home, tidy up abandoned flyers or post

Presenting Your Home

The most successful viewing is when the potential buyer can visualise themselves living in the property. Some simple ways to improve the presentation of your property are:

• Give rooms the right purpose: We don’t always use rooms for the purpose they were intended. We may use a dining room as a bedroom or a bedroom as a study. Some buyers find it hard to see beyond the current use of a room so, if you are marketing a room as a bedroom, it is best to set it up as a bedroom so you are showing them the purpose of the room, not just telling them what it could be.
• Keep it tidy: Keeping your house clean and tidy for viewings will not only create the right impression but help buyers see beyond your contents.
• Declutter: This is probably one of the most impactful things to do. Even if it means you rent some local storage during the marketing period, keeping the property free of unnecessary clutter will create a sense of space and a blank canvas for your buyer.
• Let in light: Keeping curtains and blinds open and windows clean, will let in light and create a better sense of space. If you are going to be at home for a viewing, switch on the lights in the rooms before your buyer arrives.
• Set the temperature: If there are rooms in your home you rarely use and therefore rarely heat, switch on the radiators ahead of your viewing so the whole property is warm and welcoming.
• Bathrooms and kitchens: Should always be clean, tidy and mold free. Try keeping just your essential toiletries and products in the bathroom and storing the rest to keep clutter at bay. In the kitchen keep the worktops as clear as possible, which will improve the sense of space.
• Keep it simple: If you feel the need to re-decorate before marketing your property choose neutral colours that have a universal appeal.
• • Keep up with minor repairs