Estate agents
In the early part of the process it is always worth gaining the expertise of a local estate agent as early in the selling process as possible as well as doing your own research.
A good Estate Agent should be able to advise what the likely demand for your property will be, the price you might expect to achieve and the length of time it may take to sell.
Consider conveyancing early, too, ask a solicitor to prepare a draft contract and apply for the title deeds while you gather any other necessary documentation, such as guarantees on work completed on your home.
Target your market
Think about who may want to buy your home, such as a family or a professional couple, and steer your sale towards that target.
Remember to highlight all the positive aspects which will relate to your market, such as nearby schools and colleges, transport links, nightlife and restaurants. A good Estate Agent will do this for you but if there are any points which you think may help, ensure you inform your Estate Agent. At Oakwood Estates we will include the relevant information for you in our colourful and well-presented A3 brochures and window displays.
Viewing
The obvious requirement for viewing is to ensure your property is spick and span; de- cluttered and has a show room feel to it. You want your buyers to imagine themselves living there so depersonalise as much as possible, an untidy room can make it look smaller which can put buyers off.
Check your property for any necessary improvements but don’t go overboard, spend only what you have, you don’t want to spend more than you anticipate to gain, again a good Estate Agent will assess your property for you which will give you some good pointers on what to do next. If you feel the property needs a freshen up, try a lick of paint but make sure you choose neutral colours and always try to appeal to the more conservative buyer.
When it comes the viewings, you can conduct these yourself but it is best to leave this to the Estate Agents, many buyers feel uncomfortable when viewing a property while the vendor is still present.
If you do choose to conduct viewings yourself, ensure any distractions are minimised, such as young children or noisy pets. Your buyers need to be able to wonder around and imagine themselves living in the property.
Accepting the Sale
Again your Estate Agent will be able to help you out here, in the registration process a good Estate Agent will ensure the buyer has financial backing and check the buyers circumstances, these factors will determine how quickly a sale will go through and most importantly how reliable an offer is.
During the early part of the process your Estate Agent will value your property, combine this with the information on the buyers circumstances to accept the right offer.
Do not withdraw your property from the market until you feel totally confident that the sale will go through. However, in some cases, the buyer will demand this as part of their offer.
It can take weeks to get to exchange of contracts and so you will need to keep in close contact with your estate agent and solicitor to make sure you know of any developments as soon as possible - particularly in relation to your buyer's circumstances.
Keep communication channels open. It can take time.
