Thu 04 Apr 2019

Top Tips to Achieve a Swift Sale at the Best Price

The West Midlands, and Birmingham in particular, property market has seen small price rises in the first quarter of 2019 according to Rightmove.  This bodes well for sellers, but how can you make sure that you achieve the best possible price for your home?
 

Marketing Choices

Picking the right estate agent is probably one of the most important decisions you will need to make.  Actually, your first choice is likely to be whether to list your home with an online agent or a high street estate agent.  There are pros and cons to each of these, of course, but you need to make a choice based on who will show off your property best, and who will be able to show it to the most prospective buyers.

First Impressions Count

Appearances, as they say, are everything!  It’s important that you give as much attention to the outside of your house as you do to the inside.  Buyers can make snap decisions and it’s likely they’ll form opinions on whether or not they can see themselves living in your home pretty quickly.  So, mow the lawns, pot the plants, sweep the kerb even – it all counts!

Be Realistic

It’s important that you aren’t overly ambitious about the likely sale price of your property.  As part of your hunt for an agent, you are likely to have had two or three negotiators out to see you to give you a valuation.  Whilst it can be tempting to go with the one who says they’ll get you £10k more than all the others, you might be wise to question their sales tactics! If you launch your home at a price point that is too high to begin with, you might not get the amount of initial interest you need to bag a swift sale.  

So, we’d recommend that you do your research by checking out other properties for sale in your area that are similar to yours.  Look on Zoopla to see what houses have recently sold for.  Then, you will be confident that you are picking the right agent who has valued your home correctly and are therefore more likely to get a quicker sale.

Chain Reaction

It’s a fact that often, the longer the chain, the longer the overall time it takes for everyone involved to complete on their relevant sales.  Additionally, potential buyers can be put off by long chains. One way to solve this situation is to move into temporary rented accommodation.  Obviously, this isn’t an easy or viable solution for everyone. However, what you’re essentially doing is putting yourself in the same position as a first-time buyer, which is a highly desirable and potentially powerful position to be in.

Channel your Inner Marie Kondo

Whilst you may be able to look past clutter, not everyone can.  So, if you’ve been meaning to have a “spring clean”, now is the perfect time to do it!  Less is more when it comes to selling a house, and the more open you can make a space feel, the bigger it will appear.  If it doesn’t “spark joy”, put it on eBay (other online selling sites are available) and put the money towards your moving costs!

When buyers are poised to buy, and the market is proving buoyant, it’s really important to do everything you can to make sure your house is looking its best.  That way, you can achieve the price you want, and move on quickly to your next dream property.