Tip 1: Stage Your House
You only make one first impression and it only takes 30 seconds.
How do you present your house in order to sell it?
Get Cleaning
Your home must sparkle! This cannot be stressed enough. Clean your house from top to bottom before putting it on the market. Pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms, which must be inviting and hygienic; finish up with a new toilet seat; fresh white towels; and a strategically placed plant or two. Make sure your windows are clean inside and out too. Clean and air out any musty smelling areas. Bad smells are a no-no!
Eliminate Clutter
Potential buyers need to imagine themselves living in your house, so get rid of ornaments and photos - especially posters in kids' bedrooms. Put things you don't really use on a daily basis in the attic or in storage. Large pieces of furniture should also go into storage; this will make rooms feel much bigger. Focus on the hallway - clear away coats/clutter; the bathroom - hide all your products; and the kitchen - clear the bench surfaces of appliances, jars, tins, etc, and replace any ragged tea towels or smelly bins.
De-Personalise
A buyer needs to imagine themselves in your property and they cannot do this with your personal things around. Remove personal objects that your potential buyers won't be able to identify with. If you've got time then a lick of new paint can do wonders. Neutral colours sell - it's a fact. Try to convey an image of quality and neutrality. Buying a home is an emotional decision, and you want potential buyers to make an emotional connection with your home by being able to "see" themselves in it.
Tip 2: Make Minor Repairs
Don't gut and redecorate the entire property, but do fix what is obviously damaged. If there has been a leak and there is some staining pay the money and repair that. If there are some hairline cracks, fill them in. A first-time buyer may think there is a serious problem, even though this is not the case. If you have been letting your home it could be in need of some serious cosmetic repair.
Concentrate on first impressions. Paint the front door, tidy the garden and make the entrance area as welcoming as possible. If you live in a flat, do your best to improve the communal areas. If they look shabby it will appear that the building is not well maintained.
Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside? Does the house welcome you? Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look to a buyer.
Finally, don't overspend. Buyers often like to make their mark, so don't waste your money on trying to second guess what they like. Everyone is a budding developer; everyone wants to feel they can add value. If the kitchen is tired then don't spend money on replacing it - there is little chance you will make your money back. Don't replace carpets, but do get them cleaned.
Tip 3: Price it Right!
We tend to have high expectations of what our house is worth.
At the end of the day it's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
Find out what similar properties in your area have sold for by using www.nethouseprices.com and find out current asking prices at www.rightmove.co.uk. Just bear in mind that asking prices are just that, and are not always the same as sales price - in a stagnant market the actual sales values may be 5-10% below asking price.
Know how much the properties you are in competition with are selling for, and undercut them. Psychologically, for buyers, yours will appear better value. If your price is too high the property will hang around. If you price low you will attract more interest and increase the chance of getting competitive bidding, and may even sell for over the guide price.
Some struggling agents set unrealistic values in an attempt to win business.
Ask every estate agent who values your home to give you evidence that supports their valuation.
Tip 4: Accepting an Offer
When you receive an offer how do you decide whether to accept it?
Well, price is obviously important. How much do you need or want from the sale and what do you want it for?
The buyer who offers the highest price is not always the best choice. Push to find out as much about their circumstances as possible. Are they first-time buyers? If so, they will need some handholding by the agent and could delay conveyancing. Do they have a related transaction? If they have something to sell, then it should be under offer before you take your property off the market. Also, find out about any forward chains that could complicate agreeing completion dates further down the line. Additional purchasers and buyers returning to the market are usually good news - as long as their finances are in place, then there should be less potential hurdles here.
Market conditions, competition and how much the buyer loves the property will determine what the buyer is prepared to offer. Similarly, the price you will be prepared to accept will depend on market conditions; how quickly you need to sell; and the size of your moving budget. Compromise on both sides is often the key to securing a deal. Also, know whether you want to keep all your furniture, curtains and white goods, as many of these items may not suit your next home, and can be used as effective bargaining tools to get the price you want.
Remember that you will make yourself more attractive to potential buyers if you are able to move out quickly, so consider moving into rented accommodation if you are offered a good price but have not yet found a new home.
Telford Sell House Fast
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_Gaskin
