Getting Real

The trouble many homeowners face is that they do not realise what it is they are selling. That might sound stupid, however often the biggest barrier they face is the mere fact that it is their home. It is their tastes that are represented, and their idea of perfection.

You only have to look at the success of silly television shows such as “May The Best House Win” to see how much tastes can differ. Now, obviously you are not going to paint your whole house in an inspirational shade of magnolia before leaving, but what are the small things you can do in order to quicken a house sale?

Try to Minimalize

If you are still living in your current home full time then this may prove to be something of a problem. However, when people come to view your home they want the best possible opportunity to view the potential of what they might be buying. The best way for many potential homebuyers to see this is to see a house as empty as possible. Your sofa, HD television, and beautiful decorations may look great but take it from me, people about to commit to a huge financial obligation would much rather see an empty space.

Be Honest

This is especially true in the case of repairs that need to be done to the house. The first temptation in the modern day is to drop the price of the house in line with what you believe will need to be spent on repairs. Unfortunately, this will lead to people seeing an ad for the house, noticing the list price being lower than similar properties and automatically saying “no” to it.

Instead, list the price at a true value representative of the market. However, be honest with regards to any work that needs doing, but offer to pay 50% of the repair price, for example, along with the buyer of the home. Avoid employing a workman to complete repairs on the cheap just to “paper over the cracks.”

Talk to Viewers Yourself

Whether through a shy nature or for some other reason, many homeowners leave the viewing process up to the estate agent. Make sure you are home and talk to anyone viewing your home yourself. There can be an air of suspicion held, probably unfairly, around estate agents that will likely not be there if you converse with the viewer yourself. If they have any questions, too, these can be answered quickly without having to go back and forth to the agent, so cut out the middle man and sell your home quicker!

This is a guest post by Harworth Estates one of the largest landowners in the UK with access to over 30,000 acres of land.