By common consent, spring is much the best time to sell your property, and by extension, it’s also a great time to buy a property because there will probably be more on the market.
So here are some tips to help you prepare for a quick and profitable house sale:
1. Plan ahead for getting your energy performance certificate (EPC), which is a legal obligation. Install extra insulation, maybe replace the boiler, or contact a consultant to get your rating as high as possible. Buyers are now paying more attention to this issue as fuel bills continue to rise.
2. Give your front exterior a scrub up and new coat of paint; tidy the garden and trim any wayward shrubs or trees. First impressions are crucial in selling a house and if there is a sniff of negativity, the rest of the property may be irrelevant.
3. Keep your personal possessions out of sight where possible. The buyer wants to be able to imagine themselves living here, rather than stumbling over your tennis rackets.
4. High quality furniture is a definite bonus. Even though the purchaser knows that you will take it with you, it gives a property a sheen of wealth and style which plays well: it means the place has probably had money invested in it.
5. Time viewings to coincide with the quietest times of the day if possible. So if the neighbours have a baby which screams in the mornings, invite buyers in the afternoon. Babies grow up but early impressions of ear-splitting howls are hard to forget.
6. Be ready to answer any questions from potential buyers in a welcoming and friendly way. If you don’t, they may get the impression that you have something to hide.
7. Turn the TV off.
8. Add some flowers or plants to rooms where there is space for them and plant a couple of bright shrubs or flowers if you have a garden. This will only cost you a few pounds but it makes an enormous difference to your prospects of selling your property, especially if the buyer (or one of them) is female. Mow the lawn and sweep the patio clean.
9. Use an online estate agent such as Surf4aProperty.com. You can advertise your property across our network of partner websites including Rightmove.co.uk.
Good luck!
This is a guest post provided by www.TheAdvisory.co.uk – The UK’s #1 source of free impartial expert advice for house sellers.
