Selling your home is a major milestone and it can be time consuming and stressful as well as being complex when considering everything involved from preparing your property, listing, making any necessary repairs, finding a buyer, navigating the closing process and then moving into your new home.
In order to prevent additional stress and ensure the process is smooth sailing follow our easy list of common mistakes you should avoid when selling a home:
Not preparing your property for sale
It may seem obvious, but sellers can often neglect taking some time to make those last-minute improvements to their properties before putting their houses on the market. Ensuring that your property is looking its best is essential for receiving full asking price as well as ensuring your buyers like what they see. Get rid of clutter, tidy, and stage your house to make it look its best for viewings, purchasers are buying a lifestyle.
2. Only using traditional methods of selling
A very large majority of buyers will now head to the internet first when they are home hunting. Previously sellers could use methods such as classified ads, however this is now no longer the case. To successfully market your property online listings on websites like Rightmove, and Zoopla are an absolute must. Photo editing and virtual viewings can also help set the scene for your property; this is something worth mentioning when you’re selecting an agent to sell your property.
3. Being unrealistic with pricing
You may have ideas of the price you would like to sell your property for however the market may not be prepared to pay this price. For a seller there is usually a sweet spot between asking for too much or too little if you can’t get the right price this could leave your property on the market for longer than desired.
You may have an idea of how much your home could be worth based on other homes of similar sizes and features sold in your area. Comparable sales are usually used by estate agents to establish a listing price however, generally no two properties are the same so there needs to be room for adjustment. Your agent will present you with a price that they think the property will receive; it’s up to you whether you agree the offer.
4. Not considering online estate agents
Selling your property can be an expensive, especially if you’re looking to buy somewhere alongside selling. Make savings wherever you can. An online agent can save you money on the cost of marketing and selling your property as online agents generally cost less due to having fewer overheads giving them the ability to offer a more competitive price. An online agent may also be able to offer you products that a high street agent won’t necessarily have access to in order to streamline the process of selling.
5. Delaying your mortgage application
Before putting your home on the market it’s important to ensure you are eligible to purchase a new property. If the property is more expensive, you may want to check to see which lender can offer you the best deal. If the property is the same price or less than your current property, then you will need to double check if you can transfer your mortgage this is known as ‘porting’. Doing this ahead of selling your property will ensure that the home-buying process isn’t held up by delays and problems. The secret to a smooth home-buying process is to reduce any potential hiccups as much as possible. You’ll also have more of an advantage compared to rival buyers who don’t have a mortgage agreement in principle.
Keep these top tips in mind when you come to sell your property to help you avoid making them. Selling can be a lot easier when you when you have an estate agent to guide you through the process.
If you’d like to find out how much your property is worth, request a free valuation now. For information and advice get in touch customerservice@easyproperty.com
