Top 5 Tips if You’re Thinking of Selling
Now may not be a great time to sell, but it doesn’t mean you haven’t thought about it. If so, it’s never too early to get prepared so read this article for the things you need to think about to get yourself ready and your property ready when the time is right. The London property market has had lots of twists and turns but housing is always in demand, so make sure you do what’s necessary to get top dollar.
That may be tackling key home improvement and redecorating projects, finding the necessary paperwork and considering the best staging tips. In this article, we cover all of what you’ll need and if you want more information, leave me a comment to send you my fantastic guide – Get Your Home Ready to Get Your Home Sold!
Let’s get int the top 5 tips if you’re thinking of selling your home!
Tip Number 1 – Figure out why you want to sell
While this may be pretty basic, sometimes when you really dive into it, it’s not. Are you selling because you’re hearing about how much your neighbour sold their property for? If so, then you need to factor in what will you do with the proceeds of the sale and if you’re buying in the same market, will you actually be better off? Or is it because you’re tire of that upstairs bathroom? Well in that case, have you thought about remortgaging to perhaps do major home improvements or extensions if you still love your neighbourhood and community.
My point is to make sure you’ve really thought through why you’re selling. When I meet with sellers, we spend a fair bit of time on this because why you want to sell may also when you want to sell by which may ultimately impact the price you’ll be able to sell for.
Tip #2 – Declutter & Depersonalise your Space
Now that so many of us may be home, it’s a great time to organise your home and your life and if you’re remotely thinking of selling, it’s a great time to declutter your space. De-cluttering allows anyone coming in to really get a sense of the space and have a clear line of sight. Cluttered rooms will also often look a lot smaller than they are.
Also start thinking about de-personalising. Why? Because potential buyers need to be able to envision themselves in a new home and having your very personal and specific decorative items throughout the house may prove a challenge. For example, if you have a room that is sweet and pink and all decked out for your daughter, someone else may have a hard time seeing that room function as a great home office. Or if the minute they walk into your family room is a massive family portrait on the wall, it has a way of subliminally saying that this is someone else’s home.
Tip # 3. Work on any necessary projects
One of the most effective things you can do is paint where necessary. Also, replace lightbulbs and make sure rooms are well lit; caulking in the bathrooms will eliminate grunge and griminess that will just turn so many buyers off. And here’s one of my personal favourite tips, which is to change out the handles on cupboards and cabinets. You would be amazed how that simple small fix can instantly update your kitchen, the wardrobes in your bedrooms and any cupboards or cabinets in the bathroom.
Tip # 4 Stage your Home / Get it Sale Worthy
Consider staging your home. It’s funny to me that many sellers want top dollar but don’t want to make any investments into getting it. The benefits of staging and I cannot emphasize them enough, are: number one they will allow you and your estate agent to take great marketing photos to attract buyers in the first place. We believe that the first viewing takes place online so it’s very important to have great photographs. Another key benefit of staging rooms and the home is that everyone wants to live in the most stylish and up to date space and if your home is properly styled then each room will have a clear purpose and the home will be one that people can see themselves living in.
Tip #5. Speak to an Estate Agent to get a sense of value
A good estate agent should be able to give you a clear up-to-date market analysis, which may change if you are months away from actually selling. But this should be based on what homes have actually sold already, the number of homes currently on the market and how long it is taking homes to sell. Then you need to factor in the condition of your home compared to the other homes. I often have conversations with sellers who can easily discount every other property as being inferior and overpriced but are really not able to see their home objectively. This is understandable as it’s your home and very personal, but if you are serious about selling, the brutal reality is that your home is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it and so you need to be competitive in the eyes of buyers. It’s been a buyers’ market for quite some time here in London so if you want to sell, your home has to stand out in terms of price and presentation.
I hope this article has been helpful in giving you the top things you need to think about if you’re considering selling your home whether now or in the future. If you want specific tips on preparing your home for sale, then just leave me a comment below so I can send you my free Getting You Ready to Get Your Home Sold Guide.
