Are you thinking about selling your property in the near future? If so, you need to do everything to stand out in today’s competitive property market. With that being said, read on to discover plenty of useful tips that can help you along the way.
Choosing the estate agent who will help you reign in today’s market
You could place the sale of your house in the hands of the first estate agent you come across on the high street. Or you could carry out research beforehand to ensure you’re entrusting your marketing to a firm with the right experience and the commitment to drive the sale of your home actively and professionally.
A few pointers to check are:
- The agent’s website: is it easy to navigate, up to date and well designed? Is it informative about the properties they sell and capable of being viewed on a mobile or tablet? (use of mobile searching is increasing – people want to be able to access data while on the move).
- Do they understand your buyers? If your property will be aimed at young, single professionals, for example, do they make full use of internet portals and social networking sites? If you’re selling a rural property, will they market it regionally, or even nationally, to attract the retired market or second home owners?
- Will they make sure your property stands out from the crowd? Do they offer professionally presented property brochures dedicated to the sale of your property? Will they prepare a floorplan? Do they use PR and advertising to the best effect?
Above all, choose a firm that you find it easy to communicate with.
What to do if you are unhappy with the valuation your estate agent has given you?
You have decided you want to sell your home! Perhaps it’s time for a change, or maybe it’s something you have been forced into. Whatever the reason may be, the most exciting yet nerve-wracking moment can be having your house valued. You arrange a valuation with an estate agent; they take a look around your home, and then your jaw drops when you discover their valuation – and not in a good way! Is your home really worth that little? If you are unhappy with your home’s valuation you don’t have to simply sit back and accept it. Here are some things you can do…
- Organise another valuation – When getting your home valued it is always a good idea to have at least three estate agents come round and value your property. By doing this you can take all of their opinions to form an average. How do you know that the estate agent you had originally simply didn’t have a clue what he or she was doing?
- Research comparable properties – See what homeowners with similar properties are asking for. If they are charging significantly more than what your home was valued at, take a look at what their property has to offer in order to determine where yours is falling short.
- Home improvements – If you are not happy with the valuation you have been given you should consider various home improvements in order to increase the value of your home and achieve a price you are happy with. This doesn’t have to be something dramatic. New radiators, such as those at www.onlyradiators.co.uk and double glazing can boost value. You don’t need to build an entirely new extension.
Modern marketing methods for a challenging market
In the challenging market these days, it’s not enough to have your property simply listed on one or more internet portals or in the estate agent’s window. You have to get a bit more creative, especially if you are looking to sell quickly or are attempting to sell an unusual property. Try some of these marketing tools – you may be surprised at the results!
- Add a footer to your outgoing emails, advertising the sale of your home.
- Offer a financial incentive to everyone on your email contact list – an incentive for them to refer your home sale onto others who may be interested.
- Get some small postcards printed with a photo of your property, a few key details about it and your contact information – pass them out or leave them in appropriate places when you’re out and about.
- Create a Facebook page dedicated to the showcasing of your home – it’s really easy to do. Research local information, newsworthy stories, and photos about the area and share with your friends. With a bit of luck, they’ll pass it on and your property will reach a far wider audience.
- Place copies of your brochure where people have time to browse them – doctors’ and dentists’ waiting rooms and local hairdressers for example – maximise the reach of your advertising!
The front door factor
The front door is one of your property’s most important features! This is the one element of your house you can rest assured that everyone who visits your property is going to see. This is where you welcome people into your home, and so you need to make the right impression.
It doesn’t cost a lot to refurbish your front door and so this is an improvement every single homeowner should consider when he or she wants to sell his or her house. How much will it cost you? Well, firstly you will want to buy a new doorknob, which can cost around £30. Aside from this, why not consider beautiful stainless steel house numbers (£5-£20) and a brass letterbox (£25)? You will also want to give your door a fresh coat of paint.
Once you are done with updating your front door you will be amazed by the difference this has on the entire house. But did you know that this improvement could actually do wonders for your marketing as well? Snap a picture of your front door and use it as the main image on Rightmove and any other portal you are using. This is a great way to intrigue the buyer to click on your advert, as the photo looks stylish and welcoming, yet it doesn’t give everything away.
Market your home effectively with natural light
There is nothing more appealing to a prospective buyer than masses of natural light pouring in through windows. It’s a well-known fact that natural light makes you feel better, physically and psychologically. A gloomy, dark room can be really very off-putting to a first-time viewer. There are a few quick tactics you can employ to maximise what light you have and help show your home off to its best advantage.
Ensure the windows you do have are clean, uncluttered and admit as much light as possible. Draw curtains back, use tie-backs or pull blinds up during daylight hours. Remove furniture, especially dark or bulky items such as leather couches and sideboards, away from windows, letting the light flood in unimpeded as much as possible.
Use light hues or white when choosing a colour palette for your walls. You can find some good tips here: https://www.houselogic.com/remodel/painting-lighting/whole-house-color-palette/. These will reflect as much natural light back into the room as possible. It’s also a good tip to place a large mirror on the wall opposite the window. This will bounce light back into the dark corners of a room, making it appear more airy and spacious.
If you’re willing to spend a little more money, take a critical look at your external doors – a solid wood front door will darken a hallway; but replacing it with a high security partial or full glass door will obviously allow more light to pass through.
Four reasons you need to stick to your asking price to sell your home
Unless you are lucky enough to get an offer straight away, you have probably considered dropping your asking price at some point! When interest dries up this seems to be the obvious solution to go for! But, if truth be told, it rarely works! Here are four reasons why you should stick to your current asking price…
- Better ways to secure a sale – Rather than lowering your asking price, you should focus on making improvements to your home or reassessing your marketing efforts. The best way to give the buyer more value is to upgrade your property, not lower the price.
- Buyers want something special – People don’t go bargain hunting when they are buying a home. They want something special! So, being the cheapest out of all comparable properties makes people feel your home is inferior.
- Buyers will lack confidence in your home – If you drop your asking price you are signifying that you have no confidence in your property, so why should anybody else?
- You are inviting scrutiny – When buyers notice that you have dropped your asking price they will begin to wonder why. What is wrong with the property? They will be looking for potential problems.
So there you have it: plenty of tips to secure a property sale. Good luck!
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