Top tips on preparing your property for sale
Look on any property website and you’ll find a wide range of advice for home-buyers – from how to boost your credit rating to saving up for a first deposit.
But what if you’re selling your home? Putting your property up for sale can be a long and complicated process, and requires a lot of preparation. If you’re thinking about selling your flat, here’s where to find the best tips on the web.
Getting your property ready for the market
For expert advice on preparing your home for sale, leading property websites are a good place to start. Primelocation’s guide to preparing your home for sale, for instance, has some great advice that’s relevant to anyone about to put their house on the market or sellers who are already on the market but haven’t had much luck. Their suggestions include sprucing up your house’s exterior, de-cluttering your home and letting in the light to show your property at its best.
Rightmove has a useful guide too, though it’s less detailed. In addition to cosmetic changes, they also suggest having useful facts to hand for potential buyers – for instance, the likely cost of utility bills, council tax and buildings insurance. Zoopla’s blog also has sale tips from Phil Spencer, property guru and star of Location, Location, Location. He emphasises making your home look like it’s about to be in magazine shoot: that means hiding children’s toys, traces of pets and any junk you might have lying around.
If you’re a fan of programmes like Location, Location, Location, Channel 4’s Selling Property website may appeal. Since the launch of Channel 4’s Scrapbook in 2012, this site has not been updated. But there’s still a wide range of useful information here, from how to add value to your home to selling your house at auction. Some figures quoted may be out of date, so it’s worth double-checking with current guides for accurate numbers. But if you’re simply looking for ways to present your home better or how to find the right buyer, this website is a great resource.
More property preparation tips
Looking for more all-round advice? Check out this property selling guide from The Telegraph. Their tips include finding the right estate agent and giving them incentives, as well as producing a high quality home brochure and having an open house.
This Access Legal article on preparing your property for sale has even more detailed guidance. In addition to cleaning up the inside and outside, they also suggest removing any fixtures and fittings in your house that you’ll be taking with you, so prospective buyers don’t feel disappointed by their absence at a later stage.
It’s also worthwhile asking local estate agents for their take on what’s important to buyers in your local area. These tips, for example, from Scottish property agent Rettie and this online guide from Kent’s Propertymove.com contain advice that will apply to anyone hoping to sell their home, but may have a few extra gems for home-owners in their regions.
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