Most people’s home selling journey starts with a tiny niggling element. Like a grain of sand inside an oyster, this niggle grows and grows until you can ignore it no longer.
Sometimes, people put off selling their home, trying to hide from the niggle, forgetting that the grain of sand can go onto become a pearl and the next part of your life, in your new home, comes with riches you had wished you’d reached sooner.
Although moving home can be a lot to handle, focusing on the benefits of your new chapter will remind you of all you have to look forward to.
You might find browsing properties online and visiting the area you’d like to be in your new home helps you to visualise the results of all your efforts.
Once you’ve decided to put your property on the market, it’s worth inviting three local estate agents to see your home and hear your story.
It’s important that they ask you about what your previous experiences have been, what you’ve loved most about living in your current home, and what you’re looking forward to (and apprehensive about) in your new home.
A few words of caution though:
- Don’t hear a value that appeals to you without ensuring the agent has comparable evidence to support that figure
- Don’t underestimate the importance of strategy and planning together
- Don’t sign a contract that ties you in for a long time, anything longer than 12 weeks (3 months) could suggest underhand tactics at play.
You’re going to have a close relationship with your estate agent for quite a while so you must feel you’re going to be able to work with them. Even if you got an asking price offer the day your property goes on the market, you’ve still got a minimum of around 3 months of dealing with your estate agent while they help coordinate your buyer and solicitors to get to the point of exchange.
It’s much better to spend all of that time with someone that you can trust and contact whenever you need them.
Different estate agents have different ways of doing things but you could expect a floorplan, professional photography, and professional standard videography. This might be done on the day you first meet or at a later date.
Your estate agent will be able to talk to potential viewers as soon as they’ve seen your home. Great estate agents are excellent relationship builders and can even encourage people to view properties without the marketing being completed.
These earliest viewings provide key feedback that will direct the strategy you agreed upon at the start.
Regardless of the state of the market or the economy, it takes 15 viewings to sell a property, on average. Keeping this in mind can help reduce your stress levels hugely, which is so important throughout the whole house selling journey.
Even before you’ve invited that first estate agent into your home, begin the packing process. Every day, choose one cupboard to deal with, just for 15 minutes. Anything you know you need to keep, you can put back in the cupboard. Even better though, put it into a box so you’ve actually started to pack.
Reducing the number of sentimental and personal items, like ornaments or photos, can really help a buyer picture their own belongings there. This can help them see it as “theirs” and more likely to want to offer.
Bear in mind that the earliest offers are usually the highest. A bit like a cake in a bakery, people often see homes that have been on the market a little while as “stale” and tend to make lower offers.
Your estate agent will use all their negotiation techniques and honed skills to ensure that they achieve the premium price that your home deserves.
Once the final figure is agreed, the Memorandum of Sale (MOS) is issued. This will have noted any elements that the sale was agreed upon, for example, the buyer has no mortgage, or the seller has no forward chain.
The paperwork now moves to the solicitor. The faster you can deal with the forms and enquiries, the faster you’ll move towards exchange. The buyers’ solicitor will often ask, what seems like, a range of silly and frustrating questions. It can be hard to deal with as a seller but it is the nature of the system. If you’re buying on, your solicitor will be doing the same on your behalf. Once you’ve reached the point of exchanging contracts, the sale is confirmed and it’s legally binding. Usually, completion is around 2 weeks later and this is when you must vacate the property and hand over the keys.
It can seem a lot when you’re reading it all through but that’s why I offer the service style that I do. Because it helps keep your stress minimised as I’m here, throughout every stage, to help you with every element.
Call me and let’s chat about what you need and want from your home selling journey: 01525 261100.