A new bathroom can make all the difference, pictured above is one of our stunning bathroom designs at Clarendon.
How to Increase Your Chances of Selling Your Home This Year
There comes a time in most people's lives where they decide that the time has come to seek pastures new, to pick themselves up and make the move to somewhere different.
It's a rollercoaster of emotions buying a new home. There's the excitement of finding a new place to live, the bittersweet feeling of leaving somewhere so full of memories behind, and the stress of getting everything packed up and ready to be moved to your new residence.
Amidst all of that, you'll need to think about selling your home and you'll want to know what you can do to increase your chances of finding a buyer. Knowing how to entice buyers in 2020 is half of the battle, so to give you a head start, this blog post will share some of our top tips for putting your house or apartment on the market:
1. Find a top-quality estate agent
Your first step, if you're at the home-selling stage, is to find yourself an estate agent who knows their way around the housing market. Having a good estate agent on your side can be the difference between letting your home go for a rock bottom price, or squeezing out every last penny that the property has to offer. Your estate agent should also have the knowhow and expertise to effectively market your property, attracting a high calibre of buyers and getting the property sale agreed on in good time.
Be sure to do your research on the estate agent you choose - check the fees and rates they charge, find out what they include in they services, ascertain whether they're members of the respected property trade bodies and don't be afraid to enquire exactly how they intend to market your property. It's also important to remember that with coronavirus restrictions in place, you may have to conduct much of your business with the agents on the phone.
2. Have your house correctly valued
To ensure quick sale, you'll need to attach a price to your home that reflects its value, but is low enough to attract a wide number and variety of potential buyers. To getter a better idea of that price, you'll need to have a valuation carried out. You can get these done by estate agents for free and you won't need to go with the estate agent that values your house. It's an excellent idea to get second opinions by requesting valuations from a few different estate agents to get a full picture of how much you should be selling your property for.
You should also carry out your own research on the property and your local area. Find out how much other houses, similar in size and features to yours, have sold on your street or in your neighbourhood. Websites like Zoopla.co.uk are a good resource for this historical sale data, and you should use this information decide which estate agent's valuation is best for you.
3. Prepare your house for viewings
You can do a lot to help the valuation and quick selling of your home yourself by ensuring that your house is in great shape for the sale. It's worth putting the time and money in to have your house looking at its best to keep any prospective buyers interested in what your property has to offer. Painting tired walls both inside and outside, making sure your furniture is tidy and well-placed and arranging items and decorations to ensure that your rooms look as spacious as possible are all good ways to maximise property attractiveness - we've included some other ideas below too.
Getting your home viewing-ready is something you should put a lot of time into. Don't forget to look at the exterior of the house as well - the first impression of the home with the sale sign outside is the first thing that viewers will see, so take the time to tidy things up if they need tidying, such as errant weeds, dirty windows or a door with its paint peeling off.
Frequently asked questions about selling your home
There's a lot to cover when it comes to knowing how to increase the chances of selling your home and the above tips are good general steps to follow. However, to answer more specific questions you might have about selling your home quickly, we've put together a list of frequently asked questions that will give you a clearer picture:
What is the best month to sell a house?
It's generally agreed that the best months to sell a home is in springtime. This is when most people look to buy houses and it also happens to be the time that most houses look good, especially those with gardens full of flowers in full bloom. To pin it down to a month, some experts consider March to be the fastest-selling month for house sales.
What brings the most value to a home?
It's generally agreed there are several steps you can do to maximise the amount of money your home will go for. The biggest and best ideas are to remodel your kitchen, insert a new bathroom if you can and to make your home as energy efficient as it can possibly be, by fitting new windows and lighting fixtures. Beyond those major projects, just doing small jobs around the house, like painting and maintenance can do wonders for the value of your home.
Should I update my bathroom before selling?
Updating rooms is a sure fire way of increasing interest in your home and making it easier and quicker to sell. Your bathroom, in particular, is a good area to update. An older, dirtier and unattractive bathroom is one of the big things that can turn potential buyers off, so ensure yours is cleaned and well-appointed. Try to look at it from an unbiased perspective - would you buy a house which had your current bathroom?
How do I get more house viewings?
Getting more house viewings is all about marketing. If your house's marketing is top-notch, it won't take long to get people interested. Enquire with your estate agent on what they're doing to market your property, and ensure that the pictures they use to advertise your listing are the best quality possible. You can also do little things yourself, like holding open-house viewings and advertising locally with fliers and newspaper ads.
Is 2020 a good year to sell a house?
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK government has created a number of initiatives designed to encourage buyers to buy new properties, including, for example, a stamp duty holiday. Those initiatives mean there could be more potential buyers out there for your property.
For every home you sell, you'll need somewhere new to live. At Berkeley Group, we've got a range of listings for you to make the big move to, from inner-city penthouse apartments to beautiful houses out in the country. You can find our collections of fresh, modern properties on our developments page.