The property market in the UK is booming right now. Lots of people are looking to upsize, downsize, or move to a new area of the country and are selling their existing homes as a result.
This is happening all across the UK and is especially prevalent this year as many house sales were paused or slowed down in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, moving house is an exciting time, but it can also be a stressful experience, especially if your current property doesn’t sell straight away. With so many houses for sale, how can you ensure that yours stands out from the crowd and sells as fast as possible?
Zo Khan is a partner at Seymours, an expert group of estate agents based in Surrey. He’s here to share five top ways to sell your home fast, no matter where in the UK you’re based. So, if you’re looking to maximise your chances of a quick sale, you need to make sure you’re following this advice.
1. Ensure that your home is staged to sell
If you want to make your property as attractive as possible to viewers, you need to ensure that it’s staged as well as possible.
Good home staging can make the difference between a house that’s on the market for months and one that’s snapped up straight away. After all, potential buyers need to see the potential in a property to consider buying it. And, they will probably struggle to do this if a home is cluttered, overly dated, or run down. But how can you stage your home to sell? A few tips that are simple and relatively quick include:
- Give any tired walls a lick of paint in a light, neutral colour (such as white). This will instantly refresh their look and give potential buyers a blank canvas to work with when imagining what they would do with the space.
- Store away personal touches such as large family photos, children’s toys, clothes, clutter, and big, statement pieces of decor. You want potential buyers to feel as though they could live there, and depersonalising your home somewhat is the best way to do this.
- If you’re strapped for time but still want to stage your home well, focus on the main rooms such as the kitchen, living room, and master bedroom. These are the rooms that buyers are likely to care about the most, so make it a priority to show them their potential!
- First impressions are vital, and you can create an amazing one by updating your front entrance. For example, repair and paint any peeling or chipped front doors or window frames, add some hanging baskets or potted plants, and put down a new doormat for a homely, welcoming feel.
2. Selling your home fast for cash
Many people are open to the idea of selling their home for cash. A cash buyer usually means that there’s no onward chain, you can complete the sale faster, and there are less steps in place (such as your buyer securing a mortgage) that could go wrong.
But how can you encourage cash buyers for your home? Often, cash buyers are looking for a bargain that buyers with a mortgage can’t secure.
So, would you consider offering a lower price to anyone willing to pay in cash? There are also dedicated companies out there who will buy your house for cash in a smooth process, although be prepared to sell it for lower than the real market value.
Have you also considered selling your home through auction? Like fast cash, you can quickly sell your home through an auction. The auction process typically takes around six to eight weeks, much faster than the traditional method of selling through an estate agent. Check this selling a house by auction guide for more info.
3. Make sure that your home is priced right
Speaking of market value, it’s definitely a consideration in any property transaction. Of course, anyone looking to sell a property wants to sell it for as much as possible. This will give you a higher return on investment and also a bigger budget to put towards your next home.
But, putting your property on the market at a price that you’re happy with and buyers are willing to pay is a fine balance to achieve.
This is especially key if you want to sell your home fast. If it’s on the market for too high a price, you may find that it takes a lot longer to find an interested buyer. So, make an informed decision by getting a valuation from a trusted estate agent, and do your research to see how much similar homes have sold for in your area recently.
4. Be prepared for buyer questions!
Anyone who’s interested in your property will likely have a lot of questions to ask you as the current homeowner.
And, they’ll want to get answers in a timely manner, so that they can make a quick decision in a market that moves fast. So, make sure you’ve brushed up on your knowledge so that you have these answers to hand! Be prepared for questions about the property’s history, any building work that’s been completed, and of course what you personally liked about living there.
Potential buyers may also have questions about the local area too, so think about what your favourite green spaces, shops, cafes, and restaurants are, and how far away they are located from the property. This will give any interested buyers a better insight into what it’s like to live there, which just might give them the push to make an offer.
But how can you better prepare to answer home buyer questions? Before you start showing your home, take some time to think about the questions that buyers might ask. In that way, you can answer questions quickly and confidently. When answering questions, be honest and upfront about the condition of your home to build trust with buyers and, more likely, receive an offer.
Even if you’re not happy about selling your home, try to be positive when answering questions. By doing so, your home becomes more appealing to buyers. If buyers have specific questions about your home, be helpful and provide them with the information they need. Show them that you’re serious about selling your home and that you’re willing to work with them.
5. What can you do to help ensure the sale doesn’t fall through?
Of course, getting an offer is only part of selling your home fast. Everything needs to go through smoothly in order to complete the sale in a speedy manner. Of course, sometimes sales fall through due to unavoidable reasons, but what can you do as the seller to help things along?
Firstly, choosing a good estate agent is key, as they will be happy to help with any queries and will also liaise with the buyers to help keep them happy. And, it’s also vital to start the conveyancing process as early as possible. This essentially means the legal transfer of the property from one owner to another.
The earlier you start it, the more time you will have to smooth out any issues, and the quicker your sale is likely to go through! Here, choosing a good, reliable solicitor is also important. Your estate agent should be able to recommend one, or you can go off of the recommendations of family and friends who have recently sold their homes.
As Surrey estate agents, the Seymours team has seen their fair share of house sales. And, some of them go through quickly while others take some time. Of course, it’s impossible to control every inch of the property selling process.
There are so many different moving parts and parties involved that it’s inevitable that things will sometimes go wrong and take longer than the seller or buyer would like! But, by following these tips, you should be in a better position to sell your home as quickly as possible and with minimal problems.
