When you’re selling your home, you want it to happen as quickly as possible and achieve the best price. Delays and getting less than your home’s really worth could mean losing out on the property you want to move to, extra costs and a lot more stress so it’s worth doing whatever you can to avoid these.
There may be aspects of the home-selling process that are outside of your control but ensuring you don’t make mistakes that could stop it going smoothly will increase your chances of success. Here are some of the most common ones to be aware of.
Thinking of selling?
Get the ball rolling with an in-person valuation of your home. It’s free and there’s no obligation to sell if you change your mind.
Rushing your choice of estate agent
The estate agent that values your home the highest or charges the lowest fee won’t necessarily be the one that does the best job. Take the time to find out about the track record of agents in your area, assess the quality of their marketing and check they have the knowledge and experience you need to ensure a successful sale.
It’s best to have the estate agent carry out viewings rather than doing them yourself, so you need someone personable too.
Not getting your home ready for sale
Before marketing photos of your home are taken, it’s essential to do what you can to present your home in its best light. Get rid of clutter, tidy up, make minor repairs you haven’t got round to and boost your curb appeal by making sure the outside of your house is well presented.
Consider giving rooms a lick of paint, putting some of your possessions into storage and moving furniture to make it clear how different spaces can be used.
Setting the price too high
It’s understandable to want to get as much for your home as you can, but if the asking price is too high for the area it will take longer to sell. Do your own research into how much properties like yours have sold for recently as well as getting advice from estate agents before deciding how much to market it for.
Take all offers seriously, as there’s no guarantee you’ll get a better one. If your property’s been on the market for a while, consider lowering the price to attract a new set of potential buyers.
Investing too much
If you’re considering a future sale and how to add value to your home, you might think improvements like adding an extension or installing a high-end kitchen are a good move. However, you could end up spending more than the value you add or boost your home’s value so much that it ends up being overpriced for the area.
Find out which improvements add the most value to your home.
Not preparing for viewings
Even if you’ve spent time getting your home ready for marketing, don’t forget to set the stage before every viewing. Put things away, make sure your house is clean and warm, and turn lights on in gloomy areas. If you’re selling in spring or summer, set up the garden so buyers can imagine themselves enjoying it. Pay attention to how your house smells too.
Keeping pets at home during viewings
You may love your dog or cat but not everyone’s an animal fan so the presence of a pet could put buyers off. On the other hand, if they love animals they could be distracted by your pet and spend the viewing focusing on it rather than taking in everything your property has to offer.
Being inflexible with timings
People lead busy lives so may want to view your home in the evening or at weekends. Try not to say no to these requests as buyers could give up on your property if they can’t arrange a viewing when it’s convenient for them. Estate agents often carry out viewings at these times as they know it maximises their chances of making a sale.
Failing to consider a buyer’s situation
It’s not just the offer itself you should consider when deciding whether to accept one. Think about the buyer’s position too. For example, if they’re in a property chain, problems in other parts of the chain could delay your sale or even cause it to fall through, so choosing someone who’s chain free is likely to be a better bet.
Also find out whether they have a mortgage agreed in principle if they’re a first-time buyer and if they’ve accepted an offer on their current home if they’re selling too.
Being slow to respond to queries
Whether it’s questions from potential buyers, a buyer whose offer you’ve accepted, the estate agent or your solicitor, it’s important to respond quickly to avoid unnecessary delays. Also make sure you provide as much information as possible when you reply to reduce the chances of further queries arising.
Not having paperwork ready
You should instruct a solicitor or licensed conveyancer before your house goes on the market so you can fill in and prepare as much of the necessary paperwork as possible in advance. If you don’t, this could delay the sale process once you accept an offer.
Extra help to avoid common mistakes
Visit these guides for more information on how to make all the right moves when selling your home:
How to set the right asking price
Tips for maximising kerb appeal
Advice on getting your home ready for viewings
How to decide which offer to accept