Should I be selling my home?
If you’re seriously considering selling your home then there are many factors that you will need to consider before you go ahead with it. It’s not just the reasons for selling your home but whether your home is ready to be sold. If you want to move as quickly as possible, it’s important that your home is appealing to those buying it; otherwise you may be sitting with a ‘For Sale’ sign in your front garden for some time.
So what do you need to think about when considering selling your home? Firstly, what are your reasons for wanting to move? Is it something you feel you need to do for the family, e.g. moving into a better area for schools, a bigger home etc or is it for something more personal, e.g. after a divorce, job loss and so on? While it may seem irrelevant as to why you want to sell your home there may be other more cost-effective alternatives for you to consider before ringing your estate agent.
For example, if you want a larger property for you and your family, have you first considered whether your current home could be extended? Is there a garage or a loft that is just full of rubbish but could be converted to provide you with the space you need? Equally, you may be bored of your home, its interior and fancy a change – but is this something that could be put right through home improvements?
It’s always a good idea to get some rough costs for extensions/home improvements and place them alongside the cost of moving to see which will be the most effective in the long run. Making an extension to your home could add value to it to help you buy a larger property in the future than you would be able to now.
Analyse the market.
If you are set on selling your home you will need to speak to several estate agents to see what your property is worth. Ideally, you are going to want to sell your house when the property market is buoyant, but with the current economic outlook you may have to take a slight cut on what you paid for your house. However, each area varies dramatically, so always get good advice before settling on an asking price.
Is your home ready to be sold?
You may have got used to that wonky shelf your DIY mad husband put on the wall, or that room with its dated décor, but those viewing your home will not be used to them and they need to go. In order to sell your home quickly and effectively you need to make it as attractive as possible to those buyers, this means making a great first impression.
Tidy up the house, give it a lick of paint where necessary, smarten up your garden and try and make your home appear as spacious as possible.
While you might like all your antique furniture that’s scattered around the home, it may make the house seem cluttered and claustrophobic to others, so think about putting some of these in storage to create a more airy space.
If you smoke or have pets, it’s a good idea to neutralise smells as this could put someone off when viewing your home. Equally, someone may not be pet friendly, so it’s always a good idea not to have them running wild around the home when someone comes to view your house as it may create the wrong impression for them.
Lastly, try to walk around your home as though you are seeing it for the first time. Look out for anything that looks unfinished, untidy or in need of a re-vamp. You don’t need to spend thousands of pounds, but investing in things like a new shower screen, some fluffy towels and a few licks of paint could make all the difference.
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