Sun 14 Jul 2019

Revealed - The Fact from the Fiction!

As estate agents, we’re quite used to hearing a number of things said about us!  Some of them are based in ancient fact and old processes, and some of them are absolute myths!  So too, are the common misconceptions about the best things to do when you’re looking to sell your home.

So, in a bid to clear some of this up, we’ve put together this list of the 8 most common estate agency myths!

All Estate Agents are the Same

No!  It’s really important that you shop around when you’re choosing an agent to sell your home.  From marketing to regulation, all estate agents will differ somehow.  You need to make sure that you’re happy with the way that home will be presented and that you have confidence in the operational practices of the agent.

Baking Fresh Bread Will Help my House Sell Quicker

Actually, food smells like bread and coffee are more likely to be a distraction.  We would recommend that you give your home a thorough clean before viewings, as a fresh, clean smell is actually more attractive to potential buyers.  Much more so than a burnt loaf!

I Should do all those Outstanding bits of DIY….

Well, if you’ve got flaking plaster or peeling wallpaper, probably, yes.  But you need to weigh up the cost and time on your part versus potentially dropping the price a little to allow for the new owner to complete these things in their own time.  You might be surprised that the latter works out better value.

I Should Price High and Negotiate Down

Be sensible when it comes to first listing your home.  Listen to the advice of your estate agent!  You need to make sure that you list with a good, realistic price that will ensure you get a good level of interest.  You don’t want to be in the position of having to lower the price and giving the impression of a stale property.

A South Facing Garden Achieves the Highest Price

If you really want to buy a house with a feature that will increase the house value the most, you should buy one next to a river.  A River view will increase the value of your property more than a south facing garden.  But, as we appreciate this is unlikely to be a typical possibility, we agree that a south facing garden is pretty high on lots of potential buyers lists!

Image by rhapsodyinblue from Pixabay 

Agents with Low Commission Rates Mean I Will Get More Money

This seems like sound logic.  But, ask yourself what you’re actually getting for the money you are paying out.  For example, some online agents offer a low commission rate or one-off fee.  However, they might only be essentially providing you with an online listing service, as opposed to a high street agent who has many avenues to sell your home.  And, might be more motivated to sell your home for you!

Spring is the Best Time to Sell

Well, it’s true that there are often a lot of new potential buyers who are looking in the Spring market.  However, you don’t want to run the risk of listing your property in a flooded market.  It’s important that your house stands out, in order to achieve a swift sale.

I Should go with the Agent that Values my Home the Highest

Should you?  It’s easy to be tempted with a valuation that’s a few thousand higher than the other agents.  Sometimes though, this is done to tempt you in to listing with that agent and you will likely end up lowering the price of your property later on.

So, now that we’ve covered off some of the most common estate agency myths, hopefully you will be better prepared to sell your home.  Of course, call us biased, but we also think a good way to be prepared is to list your home with one of our 11 sales offices in the West Midlands!