Set up to sell your home?
Following the stamp duty holiday, many homeowners are racing ahead with plans to move to a new property.
If that's you, you might be wondering how you can sell your home quickly but at the best possible price.
Look no further, we've got a couple of top tips to help:
With so many prospective buyers using online property search websites, your home needs to be in tip-top shape for the photos. The house needs to look good for your listing as you only get one chance to make that great first impression, right?
When viewings begin and people come to visit your home in person, giving your home that buyer appeal will be imperative.
To kick off, we've put together the key things your home will need to get it looking at its best:
Take time to declutter.
When a serious buyer walks in, they will be visualising themselves living in the property. By making your home clean and tidy, it will give the impression of even more space. Should you have old and possibly worn out furniture, try taking some time to upcycle. For example, take a sofa that you would otherwise have discarded and give it a new use in life with a throw. You never know, it may even add some warmth to the room.
Show rather than tell
If your home is a three bedroom property, the home-hunter will want to see three bedrooms and not two bedrooms and a playroom. Make sure that there are three bedrooms to view, always aim to show how your home matches your buyers' needs.
Remember: Visualisation is important because it makes it easy for prospective buyers to imagine themselves living in your property.
The Important Documents
To avoid delays once a sale has been agreed, the estate agent and solicitor will need important paperwork. Getting the right documents together will save valuable time.
The documents you may need include:
HM Land Registry title deeds
Gas checks completed by a Gas Safe registered engineer (or Corgi-registered engineer prior to 2009) if there is a gas boiler
Electrical checks - an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) or a NAPIT or NICEIC certificate/report from a registered electrical competent person
FENSA or CERTAS certificates for windows
Confirmation of planning permission if there is any major work being carried out
Building regulation completion certificates and builder's guarantee certificates for alterations or additions
Damp proofing guarantees/warranties if work has been carried out
Party wall agreements (if relevant)
If a listed building, listed building consent for interior and exterior works
If your home is in a conservation area, conservation area consent for works
Any title insurance policies you may have taken out to solve title defects
Minor fixes
Putting your house on the market could be an ideal opportunity to tick off every one of those minor DIY tasks that you've been putting off. This will help ensure you're not giving purchasers a reason to mark your house down due to something minor that could be easy to fix. Small things that could make a big difference:
Repainting grout on tiling
Touching up mastic in bathrooms
Refilling cracks in walls or holes from picture hooks
Removing limescale from and around taps
Gardens becoming more important
Since lockdown, outdoor spaces have taken on a greater importance and the front garden is the first thing that buyers will see. As for the back garden, this might be the deal clincher. If your outdoor space is looking fresh, this could really make your home stand out from the rest.
Remember to:
Cut the grass (or make sure it's freshly mown)
Prune any overgrown hedges
Give the fence panels a fresh lick of paint
Clear any weeds away from patios or paths
Make sure that rickety gates are repaired
Remove any signs of pets, your buyer might not be an animal lover!
Flood the rooms with light.
If the rooms in the house are dark and gloomy, they will appear smaller to a potential buyer. Making your home light and airy by switching on lights, opening curtains and raising blinds can make a huge difference. Lighter rooms look more spacious.
Bathrooms and kitchens
These are the two rooms in the house that can be the most expensive to upgrade. However, if you've made an effort to clean and declutter them, you'll be giving the home-hunter an extra reason to be positive about your home. So, here are some top tips:
In the Bathroom:
Clear any mould from any areas such as the bath and shower
Store toiletries away wherever possible
Clean shower doors
Always keep the toilet seat down
And for the Kitchen:
Keep worktops tidy
Put utensils and food in cupboards
Clear away any washing up
Clean windows
Remember, property search websites are the window into your home. The more you can do to give your home that sparkle, the more views, the more visits and the more chance you have in making that sale.
