Lots of people wrongly assume that selling a house is easy and doesn’t take any preparation – after all that’s what you’re paying the estate agents for, isn’t it? Wrong! The reality is, selling a home can be stressful and inconvenient but if you are thinking of selling up, there are some essential secrets you need to know.

1. Pricing your home right from the beginning is imperative. Price your home too low and you’ll miss out on money yet price your house too high and you’ll miss out on offers which in turn will leave your property on the market. Once your property has been on the market for some time, people will begin to wonder whether there is something wrong with it.
2. It’s important to enhance your kerb appeal. First impressions matter and you only get one chance. Remember you’ve got to bring people in so consider what the outside of your property looks like to people driving up for the first time. Your property should at least look better than your neighbour’s. Revamp your front door, add a security light, plant some flowers and declutter any exterior porches. In addition to this, people love a healthy lawn or a drive with no weeds coming through!
3. Exaggerations will only disappoint in the future. Take what you have and describe it to its best ability but don’t lie. If you have a tiny spare room, don’t describe it as an extra bedroom but instead be honest and explain that it would be better renovated into a walk in wardrobe or storage room.
4. Your Estate Agent. Make sure they have good market knowledge and have a strong team of experienced people working in the company you choose to value your property. That experience could save you both time and money. Look at how they advise online and if they have a good ‘For sale / Sold Board’ presence in the area too.
5. Depersonalise and declutter. Remove all knick knacks, things you do not need on a regular basis you can put in your loft or garage and box them up ready for your move. We would recommend your property is as clutter free as possible and smells as fresh as possible too.
6. The kitchen and bathroom always come first. Typically, these are the rooms that buyers want to see the most so they shouldn’t look as if they need a huge renovation. If you do decide to update these before selling then remember that neutral colours always work best and always renovate up to the worth of your home. There is no point installing a bathroom for £30,000 if your house is only worth £200,000.
7. There isn’t a best time to sell your home. Rumours have it that spring is the best time to sell but houses do sell in winter, autumn and summer too. Only you can decide on when the right time is to sell and no matter what the housing market forecast says, people are always going to want houses.

Selling and buying houses is a very personal journey but with a little research and the right agent, hopefully you’ll be on your way to making that property dream, a reality. If you have any questions, then please get in touch.