5 Steps to Take Before Putting Your Home on the Market
If you plan to sign up with an estate agent for them to sell your home, you’ll likely come unstuck if you are unprepared. They may ask you to take some photos or videos of the inside of the property that they can take a look at ahead of any visit. In doing so, they’ll likely immediately spot problems that will put off potential buyers. To avoid this embarrassment, here are 5 steps to take towards putting your home on the market.
1. Scope Out the Market First
To have a ballpark idea of what your home might fetch and if you have enough in equity after selling out, take stock of the housing market. What are similar properties selling for in your area? Have homes in your street sold in the last year and what did they sell for? Do you know how they compare as a ‘comp’ to your present home? Is it a similar size with an identical number of rooms, and accommodating just as many cars in the driveway/garage, etc.? Or has an extension been put on the back to increase the property’s liveable space and future resale value?
All of the above are considerations that alter the listing price for your property.
2. Put Your Best Foot Forward
Before considering hiring an estate agent, remove the clutter from the home. Forget the idea of keeping your home overly personalised. Bring it back to something plainer. Typically, potential buyers are not used to imagining their furniture and themselves in another home. So, the more personal items are present, the less they’re able to do so. Too much clutter can put them off making an offer.
3. Perform a Major Cleaning Session
Once you have removed items the best you can, it’s time to perform a deep clean. Think of it like a spring cleaning aimed at getting into every nook and cranny that you can find. Because believe us, potential buyers will spot dust, last week’s cereal crumbs in the corner of the kitchen, and the rest! Also, air the home out to remove any unwanted odours. If you smoke, start doing it in the back garden or anywhere outside to avoid the smoke smell lingering inside the property.
4. Hire a Good Estate Agent
As the estate agents in Woodford will tell you, getting an agent with local market experience is valuable. They can price to the market to ensure the property sells and doesn’t stay on it too long. Also, they should have a good feel for the local area, the different neighbourhoods, accessible schools, and upcoming changes such as roadworks. When homeowners are adding extensions (and frequently getting denied by the local council), then it’s useful if they’re aware of that.
5. Fix Any Issues Ahead of the Listing
Household repairs and maintenance are good to sort out as early as possible. While you can get started with the listing arrangements because they require time to arrange, get busy resolving minor issues at home. Things such as a leaking tap, an overheating boiler, and other maintenance problems need fixing, and if you can’t do it yourself, contact a professional.
By preparing ahead of time to list your home, it’s possible to obtain a better listing price. Also, when you avoid missteps, the listing will run more smoothly, and it’s likely that your home will sell faster too.
