Guide to Preparing a Property for Sale
Selling a property should be an exciting time! If it was a home you lived in yourself, it’s nice to reflect on the memories you made there, and if you are a landlord, it might mark the beginning of a new opportunity. Whatever your situation, you want the process of selling your property to be seamless. However, it can be stressful if you are waiting on the legal paperwork to come through, or if your home is unprepared for viewings, but both common problems are easily avoidable!
Preparing to sell your property
When you’re selling a property, save yourself time and hassle by having the right team of solicitors behind you before an offer is even made. One of our partner firms, Berkley Rowe, are some of the best in the business and tell us, on average, one third of sales offers agreed do not reach exchange. Often this is simply because of the time it takes to exchange the contracts.
Normally, it’s 12-16 weeks between an offer being accepted and a property transferring hands, however, closing that gap is possible. Berkley Rowe average 6-10 weeks to exchange after an offer is agreed and they believe it’s because they get their sellers ‘sale ready’. Senior Partner, Hussain Ahmed, gave us some insights into how they do this.
1. Contract Forms
It can take time to prepare and complete all the contract documentation and ID documents necessary for a sale. Having this sorted before finding a buyer can shave off 2-3 weeks from the exchange time!
2. Management Pack
When selling a leasehold flat a buyer’s solicitors will require a management pack from the management company in order for the property to be sold, if this is completed before an offer is agreed it can take another 2 weeks off the exchange time.
How to prepare for a house viewing
Once you have all the legal paperwork sorted with your solicitor, the hard part is over. You are well prepared to accept an offer and get the ball rolling but you still need to attract a good buyer if you don’t have one already. This is not as hard as it may seem, with London property in such high demand, there are always interested buyers, you just need to catch their eye!
Remember these tips and your property will surely standout:
1. Paint It
Make your property pop with a new coat of paint, especially if it is overdue. It doesn’t always need to be much, just make sure you touch up the small knicks, and those cracks in the corner.
2. Tidy It
Your property should be airy and open! Cleaning up and getting rid of all that unnecessary clutter will make the space more appealing, especially in the common areas like the sitting room and kitchen. Open those blinds and let the light in!
3. Fix It
Go through your property and fix all the little things you have got used to over the years, like a loose door handle or a squeaky hinge. Don’t let a small detail put off a buyer.
4. Photograph It
Professional photos attract more buyers and may help you find that offer you’ve been looking for.
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These tips will help put you in the best possible position to achieve the price that you are looking for, keep the process stress free, and ultimately get you excited about your next chapter.