There are a number of reasons to sell your home: relocating, upgrading, downsizing or taking advantage of the property market. Whatever yours is, the decision won't be an easy one. There are many things to take into consideration.
It's worth taking a look at other similar properties in your area and how much they’ve recently sold for, or are currently on the market for. This will help you to quickly work out if your home will make a profit – and if it’s the right time to sell up.
Most people choose to sell their house through an estate agent, who can advise you on the current market and estimate a value for your house, but you may decide to market it yourself. If that's the case, you should list your property on s1homes.com.
As we mentioned in the introduction, there are a number of reasons you might want to sell up – of course, the main one being that you’re looking to move on by either up or downsizing.
Upsizing is one of the most popular reasons for selling – simply because you’ve outgrown the property and need more space. Perhaps you’re planning to start a family or have another little one on the way – the chances are you’ll need more room.
Likewise, you could be looking to downsize. Your children may have moved on to pastures of their own, or you could simply be keen to free up funds – whatever your reasons, downsizing is a great reason to sell up.
It’s natural for people to pick up and relocate to a completely new area – whether it’s for love, a job opportunity, or even just as a fresh start in life. Whatever your motives, by relocating you’ll need to sell and find a new property in the area.
The property market is known to fluctuate and occasionally there’ll be a boom in prices, especially in a certain region. As such, it’s not uncommon for people to take advantage of the sudden increase in house prices and want to make some extra cash.
Sometimes there’s no particular reason you want to sell, other than a need for change. Perhaps you’ve lived in the property for a while now and feel it’s the right time to move on – sell up and get that all important change of scenery.
If you’ve decided it’s time to sell up, one of the most important parts of the whole process is marketing your home and giving viewers the impression that they’d love to live here. If people are surrounded by broken light fixtures, a less-than-impressive front garden, and leaking taps – it doesn’t start things on the right foot.
Don’t spend a fortune, but first impressions count for a lot – so what do you need to focus on?
Stand outside your property and compare it to your neighbour’s. Which looks better? Is there anything you can copy to really create a better first impression for anyone who rolls up to take a look at the home?
Looking at your property from a fresh perspective can quickly help you identify any areas in need of a little TLC.
When it comes to the interior of your home, experts recommend depersonalising as much as possible. But what exactly does this mean?
Essentially, you need to take down all the personal touches that make this your home – instead creating a sense that someone else could start their own life here. For instance, family portraits and finger paintings from the kids should be tucked out of sight.
It’s also important to tidy away all the clutter that’s strewn across your home. It could be paperwork, toys, or even random possessions that have found their way onto your mantelpiece. Throw out, store away, or donate to charity. You can put it where you want – just as long as it’s out of the viewer’s line of sight.
This includes:
You’ll also want to give the whole property a good old fashioned spring clean, especially in the hours before someone’s coming to view. You’ll be surprised at just how much of a difference this can make.
As part of the whole spring cleaning process you’ll want to:
Nothing shouts out to viewers more than shoddy or half-finished DIY. Even the most basic of faults could put someone off, so make sure to:
