- Information overload. Upon instruction we ask clients to complete a questionnaire on their property. This questionnaire is tailored depending on whether it is a flat or a house being sold. We find an informal property questionnaire at the marketing stage is a great way to make your property stand out and puts you at an advantage, given it provides a lot of information to help a buyer make an informed decision.
- Get your expectations lined up. The business of estate agency, despite well-worn misconceptions! Is actually pretty transparent – typically all properties are listed for sale on Rightmove and the other web portals, and also the information is accessible over what properties sell for around 2 months after the date of completion. It is interesting to look at what your neighbours have sold for as opposed to the headline marketing price an agent gave the property at the start.
- Presentation means everything. When you have made that decision to sell, it’s important to get into the mindset that this is now a property you are selling as opposed to a house you are living in. Decluttering at this stage is a great task to accomplish as you are now setting the scene for the property to be someone else’s. You need to imagine someone walking in for the first time and seeing a wealth of possibilities – the more space they see free of personal belongings, the more their imagination will be fuelled.
- What does the agent do for you? Look at how properties are presented online. The search begins for the vast majority of buyers online, and there is a vast amount of noise out there. But listing the property for a price is only a very small part of the puzzle: how is the property presented? Who is doing the viewings? How does the agent interact with buyers? How does a viewing actually take place? What is the after-sales procedure with the agent? Are they proactive in getting the transaction from agreed to completed? You should be looking to understand how the agent is involved in the process of bringing a sale together and giving your agreed transaction the best chance of turning into a completed one!
- What is your onward picture? While the emphasis is on selling the property, nothing ever happens in isolation in the property market, and there is usually a decision to be reached on a sale in line with an onward move. It’s important therefore to have a picture of how that onward move is shaping up as it will help determine your decision should an offer be received on your current home.
- Get your solicitor lined up. Once a sale is agreed, you need to appoint a solicitor to act for you in the sale. We try to ensure all our clients have one appointed before a buyer is found. The administration process with both going to market with an estate agent and appointing a solicitor is typically always longer than people expect.
- Be a legal eagle. Both in terms of preparation and ensuring you select the best solicitor possible. It is always good to ask your solicitor if they see any potential contentious points in your contract pack. You can create a contract pack even if you don’t have a buyer, and having the solicitor go through it prior to a buyer being found can save a lot of time, effort and hassle! We can recommend solicitors locally and nationally - we only refer on the basis of the great job we think they have done for previous clients.
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