Sell, sell sell - how to get the best price for your home

The process of selling a property raises a lot of questions.

Our homes are our biggest asset, and naturally sellers want to get the best price possible, whatever the market conditions.

So it’s good to know a few simple things can make a huge difference.

Get help early

Even if you’ve bought and sold property before, the rules change, and of course market conditions fluctuate, so it’s a good idea to seek up-to-date advice right at the start.

We can make selling more straightforward by —

• Advising on selling and conveyancing, including guidance on how much you’re likely to be offered in the current market

• Organising for the preparation of the home report and energy performance certificates. On that note, make sure you’ve got all your guarantees and relevant paperwork to hand, and fill out the property questionnaire carefully

• Drafting a schedule of particulars to give potential buyers the information they need — aside from detailing the specifics of the property. This should also outline what’s included in the sale, as well as all the great points about your home like a secure back garden or dedicated parking space

• Marketing. This includes using outlets such as ASPC, which attracts thousands of searches every day, as well as showcasing properties on our own premises, websites, and across social media

But that’s not all….

Times they are a-changin’

Each property is individual with its own quirks, so it’s no great surprise then that the best approach for a more straightforward sale varies from home to home.

These days we’re lucky to have a much wider range of ways to help do this.

In particular, our clients choose from our range of set sales packages — or build their own — to suit their individual needs.

Tactics range from the usual print advertising and window adverts to boosted Facebook posts.

We’re also making great use of new technology, such as drone footage, video walkthroughs and virtual staging to showcase properties in a way that simply wouldn’t have been possible even just a short time ago without considerable investment.

Our viewing executives make sure our viewings go beyond simply unlocking the door and giving potential buyers a walkthrough of the home.

We know our properties inside out — literally: buyers often want to know things like how much they can expect to pay in utility costs, what the council tax band is, and even what the school catchments zones are, so we come along to each viewing armed with this type of information.

And, as well as timely follow ups with people who have viewed your property, if the home you’re selling would be ideal for someone else on our database, we’ll let them know.

Presentation, presentation, presentation

Most of us have read — and even tried out — the well-known and established advice about presenting your home in its best possible light for sale.

From tidying and landscaping the garden, to painting in neutral colours and making the most of kerb appeal, chances are many of us have a clear idea of a lot of the things we can do to make a property even more attractive to a potential buyer.

And of course our viewing executives cast a fresh eye: making additional suggestions, including giving useful feedback throughout the sales process from people who have viewed your property.

Finalising the deal

Even if you’ve largely managed the sales process yourself up to this point, a solicitor does need to deal with the legalities.

Throughout the process, it’s important to keep communication going. If you’re heading off on holiday, for example, make sure you’ve left contact details and can be reached.

Our sales executives will contact you and talk about next steps when a note of interest is placed, or an offer received.

And, if more than one or two potential buyers seem keen, it may be worth setting a closing date.

Importantly too, our experienced team will negotiate on your behalf with potential buyers on price and other aspects, including entry dates.

In short, with all the services you’d need in one place, we’re here to help with all aspects of the selling process to make it as easy as possible — from your very first inquiry to handing over the keys.