Like most things in life it's all about the preparation, if you want to achieve the best price for your home you need to invest some time to get it looking its best!
You're planning to move anyway, so start to pack up some of your non-essential belongings (remember to label the box with the room and contents). The clearer the floors, work surfaces, window sills and rooms are, the bigger your home will appear to potential buyers.
Grab a paintbrush and your pot of paint and tackle one room at a time, touch up any marks, fill and paint holes - as they say in the trade 'make good'. Clean any skirting boards, door frames and banisters. The less work that your potential buyer sees as essential, the more likely they'll offer you closer to your asking price.
It's the little things that make the difference. Wipe down light switches, door handles and plug sockets with a cloth (DRY cloth for electrics!) and dust the whole house - particularly lampshades, radiators, coving and skirting boards. Spend some time cleaning the area at the front of your home, first impressions count!
When we are used to seeing something frequently it becomes 'the norm' and almost invisible to us. Walk up to your home as if it was your first time, what can you see? Do a "viewing" of your home as if you've never been there before - what stands out? What would put you off making an offer? It's a hard thing to do, asking a friend or someone you trust will also help - just don't take their feedback personally!
Now is a good time to get all paperwork relating to your home in one place, over the coming weeks and months you'll be asked questions about your home. You can also see if anything is missing and order duplicates ahead of time, reducing delays later on! Whether it's a simple file box with everything in, or an alphabetised filing system, having everything together will be a time saver.
It's generally accepted that it's best to get three valuations of your home before choosing an estate agent. A good estate agent will compare your home to similar ones sold recently in the same location or nearby, here are some key points to consider:
Once you have decided who to use then try your luck with getting a discount on the fee and reducing the contract length. You are in control, you are employing their services - if you don't ask now, you can't ask later! There's nothing wrong with testing the market by advertising your home at a slightly higher price first, but ensure you review it after two weeks and adjust accordingly based on the level of interest and any feedback from viewings.
Viewings can be carried out to suit you, some people prefer the estate agent to do viewings when they are out, others like to be present when the agent is carrying out the viewing and some like to do their own viewings. There is no right or wrong way however here are some tips if you are doing the viewing yourself:
Once viewing your property possibly more than once, the potential buyers will make a decision on whether to make an offer and if so how much. They will take into consideration the following:
When your agent calls with the offer, give yourself some time to consider the figure. Ask yourself these questions:
The majority of the time buyers will try a little lower first to see if they can get a deal, don’t be afraid to stick to your guns but be realistic - if the buyer is in a good position and ready to get things moving this can be worth more in the long run. It’s a fine balance to find the middle ground between you and the potential buyers, your Estate Agent should be instrumental in this process, it’s their job at the end of the day!
You may get lucky and receive more than one offer at the same time, discuss with your agent what they would suggest. Some agents will speak individually to each party several times to get to the optimum offer for you, others will ask all the parties for their best and final figure (this gives the buyer the opportunity to make a final offer of what they are willing to offer for your home). Both of these approaches ensure you get the best possible price for your home. Once the final offers are in you can consider which offer is best for you, it may be the highest price, best chain position, best financial position or a combination of all three.