Sellers heres five things to do before selling up this autumn
Sun 20 Sep 2020
Despite restrictions being tightened as the UK battles coronavirus, property sellers are enjoying a combination of factors that are working in their favour, including resilient house prices and high buyer demand.
This is buoyed by buyers wanting to act quickly to take advantage of the stamp duty holiday, and to get in before the Help to Buy equity loan comes to an end in its current format.
As a seller, it’s a good idea to take advantage of this strong demand and list your home for sale before restrictions tighten even further or national lockdowns strike.
Below, using our knowledge and expertise as London estate and letting agents, we outline a list of things to do before selling your home in the new normal.
Get your finances in order
You will need to get financially organised when selling a property, as failure to do so could complicate or slow down your move.
If you are buying and selling at the same time, costs can add up. Start by listing all the potential costs involved – including conveyancing costs, estate agent commission, mortgage agreement fees and stamp duty – then speak to a mortgage adviser to confirm your budget and get an agreement in principle as soon as possible.
Once your offer is accepted, you’ll receive a formal mortgage offer, but remember this will only be valid for a set period of time. If you don’t complete on the property before it expires, you will need to start the process again.
Set a realistic asking price
Every home can sell, but it will need the right price. Consider marketing your property at a competitive rate, as this can help to entice more buyers. Beware, though, as setting the price too high could be a turn-off, while pitching too low can undermine the value of your home.
In any case, your chosen agent will take current trends and conditions of the local market into account to help you set a fair and realistic asking price for your home.
Prepare your home for sale
Making sure your home is presentable and well-maintained was extremely important pre-pandemic, but this is even more-so the case in light of Covid.
Along with decluttering, cleaning, adding a fresh lick of paint and sorting any quick fixes, you should ensure that all internal doors are open when someone is viewing your home. Consider opening a number of windows for added ventilation, as the virus is said to survive less well in homes where a good supply of fresh air is apparent.
Additionally, all surfaces, such as door handles, bannisters and kitchen worktops, must be thoroughly cleaned after each viewing with standard household cleaning products.
Hire a reliable solicitor
You will need to instruct a solicitor or conveyancer to handle the legal work to transfer ownership of the property. Compare quotes to find the best-suited one for you, ensuring they are trustworthy, chase the other party when necessary, will keep on top of the process, and act in your best interests.
When searching around, ask for recommendations from friends or family, as well as your estate agent, to ensure your property transaction is in dependable hands.
Find a trusted agent
Estate agents are fundamental to the selling process, so ensure that you appoint one that is well-established, possesses a wealth of local knowledge and is experienced when it comes to attracting buyers to a property.
Once a buyer shows interest in your home, it’s likely they will want to negotiate the price. Your agent will be used to negotiations and hagglers and should have your best interests at heart to achieve a good sale.
Here at Eden Estates, we are working alongside the government guidelines to ensure a safe and seamless process for sellers and buyers across Kent. For more information on our services, please get in touch with us today.
Additionally, to find out how much your home could be worth on the current market, we provide a free and instant online valuation in just 60 seconds.