When fewer people can get on the property ladder, it’s bad news for sellers as well as hopeful buyers. Selling your home is never easy, but it’s even more difficult if there aren’t as many people to market to. Not only might you find it a struggle to get the price you want, but you could even have a hard time finding any buyer at all. If you want to sell your home, you’ll have to do your best to make it more attractive to anyone who comes to view it. Luckily, there are lots of things you can do to make your home more likely to sell, both big and small.
Before Putting Your House on the Market
Before you think about listing your house, you might want to think about how to add value to your home. This could be something you think about over the years of living there, or you might consider it not long before you want to move. There are lots of changes you could make to your home to raise its value and to make it more appealing. For example, you might install a new bathroom or kitchen. Extra bedrooms could add value, so you could convert your basement or attic or build an extension. Other things you could do include giving the exterior of your home a makeover and paying attention to the garden.
Find the Right Estate Agent
Unless you’re going to be brave and sell the house on your own, you’re going to need an estate agent to help you. There are lots of estate agents out there to choose from, and getting the right one can take time. Don’t just pick the first one you see; you need someone who knows what they’re doing and has plenty of experience. Unless you have an unusual property, go with a local agent who knows the area. You should speak to a number of different people before you settle on who you want to work with.
Ask for the Right Price
Asking people for the right price is essential. You don’t want to put buyers off because you’ve overestimated, and equally you don’t want to sell for less than your house is worth. Speaking to a number of estate agents will help you get a good idea of your listing price. But be careful not to fall for unrealistic sums. The estate agent should be able to explain why they’ve attached a particular value to your home.
Use Home Staging
When it comes to viewings, many people like to stage their homes. You don’t have to go the whole hog and set everything up like a magazine. But at the very least, you need to have a tidy, uncluttered home. People are put off by a mess, even if they know rationally that none of it will be there when they move in. In fact, buyers can often struggle to look past individually replaceable features, including carpet and wall colour. So look at your home from a buyer’s perspective.
Selling your home can take a long time, but if you put the work in you can make the process easier. Choosing the right estate agent will also help you sell up quicker, and get a fair price for your house.