Selling a house can feel like adaunting process. In this blog we share some legal and practical tips to help accelerate your house sale and ensure a smooth process.
Whether you are eager to move onto your next chapter or have an urgent need to complete your sale within a certain time, these expert tips will support you in navigating the sale of your home with ease and efficiency.
In the property world, there are many aspects that are outside of your control. It can be almost impossible to know the timescales involved in the all the various transactions in the chain. For example, transactions involvement service charges and information from third parties will invariably take longer than transactions without.. However, there are some things that you can take the lead on to ensure that your house sale progresses smoothly.
In this blog, Jonathon Waterhouse, Head of Residential Property at Barker Booth & Eastwood, shares some practical tips to maximise your chances of sale, and matters to consider before your agreed sale arrives on his desk.
Instruct a Solicitor Early
Appointing a trusted conveyancing solicitor early on can help you to get all your ducks in a row early on in the process. You can start to progress with your ID, paperwork and resolve any concerns or issues you might have using a reliable professional.
Get Prepared: Consider our pre-sale troubleshooting service
Did you know we have recently launched a pre-sale troubleshooting service. For £50 (incl Vat) we will provide you with Land Registry information relating to the property and provide a preliminary legal health check on the legal title to the property, identifying any issues to consider in readiness for agreeing your sale and providing some useful guidance, hints, and tips to consider before agreeing the sale.
Prepare your Paperwork
Check for paperwork provided when you bought or for works and installations done during ownership. Locate items such as:
- Planning permissions
- Building regulations approval and completion certificates
- Boiler installation certificates and guarantees
- Gas safety checks and certificates
- Electrical Installation or Electrical Condition Reports
- FENSA or other compliance certificates for replacement windows and doors, together with guarantees
- HETAS certificates for installation of multi-fuel burners
- Guarantees for items such as roof repairs or replacement
- Indemnity insurance policies from your purchase, if applicable
- Deeds and documents provided when you purchased.
Stay on top of your Paperwork
Make sure you prioritise responding to emails, completing forms and returning phone calls involving your sale. With a competitive property market, things can move quickly, so it is important to act fast to avoid missing out on a keen buyer. Create a folder within your emails so that you can keep everything in one place.
Enhance Curb Appeal
Potential buyers will examine the exterior of the house first, reinforcing the importance of ‘first impressions matter’. You need to invest more time enhancing the appeal of the front of your property by cleaning and decluttering the front garden / porch or driveway. Things like lawn mowing, plating flowers or even freshly painting the front of the house is advised. Showing the potential buyer that the exterior of the house is well maintained increases the chances of a positive initial impression.
Declutter and Depersonalise
Clearing out personal items and any form of clutter is essential in order to make your home more appealing towards potential buyers. To help a potential buyer envision themselves living in the property, you must declutter the home as this will enable a sense of space for the buyer’s imagination.
If your home has an abundance of furniture and belongings, you may consider reducing personal mementos and photographs . You may consider renting a storage unit, or using a garage to temporarily store excess furniture that you would like for your next home.
Address Repairs and Maintenance
Outstanding repairs and maintenance issues should be addressed before putting your house on the market. Buyers are more likely to make higher offers for well-maintained properties that don’t need work. You should take time take time to repair broken fixtures and touch up paint where necessary, increasing saleability.
Stage Your Home
It goes without saying, that you should take time to make sure your home is clean, tidy and being shown in its best light for the estate agents’ photos and any viewings that are booked. This can be tricky when you are living in your home, especially if you have a young family or pets, but it is essential to showcase your home’s best features to help it sell quickly. There are plenty of small touches that can really help, such as putting out fresh flowers, lighting candles, setting the dining table etc.
Price it Right
It is crucial to attract potential buyers by setting the correct price. Your estate agent will guide you on the suggested asking price, however it is sensible to do your own research by looking at what else is on the market within your area and checking recently sold properties that are similar to yours. Be mindful of stamp duty increase points, as pricing just below these could help secure you a quicker sale.
Work with a Reliable Estate Agent
Working with a reputable estate agent with experience can streamline the selling process ensuring a successful outcome is produced. When choosing the correct agent, you need to think about the agents understanding of the local market, their fees, reviews, and their track record of past sales.
We have working relationships with a number of agents locally and would happily share our recommendations.
Conveyancing Solicitors for Blackpool and beyond
Instructing the best Solicitor will help to keep your property sale moving in the right direction, ensuring that you are updated throughout the process.
We help home buyers all over England. Whilst we are proud to be local, we are equally proud to serve the North West and beyond based on recommendation and referral. If you are thinking about putting your home on the market or are ready to instruct a conveyancer to help with the next steps, then please get in touch with our friendly team today who can provide you with a competitive quote.
Our team are highly experienced in a wide range of property transactions, from new build purchases for first-time-buyers, to complex investment purchases, probate and auction sales.
Call us on 01253 362 555 to speak to someone today.
