Preparing your home for sale
The latest statistics from the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) show that the number of house hunters across the country is on the rise.
To enable potential sellers to make the most of this demand the NAEA has the following tips:
Presentation is all important: 45% of NAEA members say that tidying up clutter is the best way to increase the saleability of your home. It is often the smaller, unconsidered factors which actually result in a sale. Making sure that the garden is well presented and redecorating are also factors which are likely to improve the attractiveness of your home to would-be buyers.
The first impression is often the one that counts, so ensure your home looks welcoming from the outside too.
You could also consider an open day to showcase your home to several buyers at once, which may ensure a sale, and which also presents a great opportunity to display your home at its best.
Consider an extension: There are several ways to increase the actual value of your home, and in turn, improving the chances of a sale. More than 40% of NAEA members believe that a well planned and built extension, that creates an additional open living space, is the best way of increasing the value of a property.
Installing a new kitchen is also seen as an effective way of increasing the value, as well as performing a loft conversion.
However, sellers must bear in mind that the average price of properties in the local area will dictate the maximum price your home can achieve, so it's worth researching similar properties in your local area first before carrying out any work.
Make a sensible valuation: With so few properties on the market, it is crucial for sellers to ensure that the valuation placed on your home is competitive in the current market conditions. The value of properties across the board has dropped sharply during the last few years, so it is crucial that you get an accurate valuation of your home.
As well as decreasing the chance of selling your home, mortgage advisers may refuse mortgage finance for would-be buyers if they believe the asking price is not a sensible one.
Energy efficiency: With the cost of heating your home on the rise, many households are choosing to make their home more energy efficient. Some buyers will use an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) as a bargaining tool to knock down the price of a property, if they are intending to carry out extensive energy efficiency improvements.
Installing draft excluders or improving the insulation of your loft or boiler are simple ways of improving energy efficiency. With the Government Green Deal due to introduce incentives for homeowners to increase the energy efficiency of their home, this issue will remain an important one for sellers to bear in mind.
Choose the professionals: When deciding on the estate agent to sell your home, we know that there are many operating on the high street. However, only NAEA members can provide the knowledge and professionalism required to give you peace of mind.
The NAEA is aware that selling your home can often be a stressful experience, as well as the biggest financial transaction of a person's life. That is why all NAEA members are to be licensed, in order to protect buyers and sellers and raise standards in the industry. The NAEA licence is also supported by the Government, and so you should always look for the NAEA licence logo when selling your home.
Advertise your property online: Property portals are an increasingly useful tool for sellers and buyers alike, so make sure that your agent advertises your home online through Propertylive.
Propertylive.co.uk is the only property search site that's regulated, protected and run by a professional body of fully accredited agents. They are committed to professional standards in the property industry to which they can be held accountable, and have to adhere to Rules of Conduct and Codes of Practice.