To get the best value from your property when selling, it is important for both you and your agent to get it right first time.
Deciding to market your property can often feel daunting so we have created this short blog to help you make sure you don’t make the same common mistakes when selling your property…
1. Don’t … Ask For Too Much Money When Selling
This can cause many problems for you when selling and can majorly affect whether your property will sell or not within your chosen timeframe.
You know what you paid for your property and you’ll have your own thoughts on what you think it’s worth but that doesn’t always mean your potential buyers will feel the same.
Your property is only worth the amount that the market is willing to pay for it.
Allow your local agent to advise you properly at this point, because they will know what is best and you should always go by what they tell you. Let them coach you, that is what you are paying them for (don’t forget they are working for you, not against you).
If you put your property on the market for too much then it could sit there for a long time which will put future buyers off.
If your property doesn’t sell then eventually you are going to have to lower the price anyway which will cause more problems – potential buyers will just wait until you lower it again if that makes sense? You really don’t want to find yourself in that position as you will inevitably down value what you are offering and that is such a waste.
2. Don’t … Skip On The Marketing
Potential buyers don’t just appear at your door because you’ve taken a few photos and erected a board outside – it’s not quite as easy as that.
Use all of the tools available to you, especially with online marketing. With the right agent there is so much opportunity here.
At Campbells we spend thousands of pounds a month on marketing our properties, because we understand how important it is – please don’t underestimate the power of social media such as Facebook, Instagram and You Tube.
Long gone are the days when an agent simply puts a board up, puts your details in a filing cabinet and puts a pretty picture in a window – good estate agents have moved on and your buyer, who will pay the most money, is watching your property on his/her mobile phone, tablet or PC.
3. Don’t … Attempt To Sell It Yourself
We are all tempted to ‘save money’ and do it yourself – please don’t try this, pay for an expert. It pays off in the end – you are selling one of your biggest assets you have earnt so don’t waste it.
Just get a good traditional agent with great online presence to do if for you. It will save you a lot of worry and trouble in the long run. Your local agent will know more than you do – notice how we said ‘local agent’ – it is really important that they really are local and know the area well.
Selling a property is not about just finding a buyer… it’s the viewings, checking out the seriousness of a buyer, understanding finance, the legal process, negotiating difficult issues when they crop up. What do you do when… etc.
Pay someone, often not that much more when you consider the bigger picture and the potential losses by getting it wrong, to act on your behalf.
4. Don’t … Neglect To Fix Things That Are Broken
Keep your property tidy, neutral and free of clutter.
Little things like making sure that mark on the wall has been taken care of or making sure the kitchen cupboards are still on their hinges properly is really important.
If a potential buyer comes in and sees that you have things broken from what they can see, they will just assume that you haven’t looked after the things they can’t see.
Give the gutters a good clean and give it a lick of paint where needed (preferably white – to keep it neutral).
A good estate agent, if they are prepared to be honest, will help you with this.
5. Don’t … Get Emotionally Involved
Just because what you see is a perfect property, doesn’t mean that someone else will. This is all about making someone else fall in love with it, not you. So don’t make any unique changes to the property in terms of decoration, keep it simple and keep it neutral, i.e. white walls. Let the potential buyer walk in and see a shell and let their imagination go wild with that.
They will be able to see much clearer what they want if the property is kept simple. It’s like an artist trying to think of a new painting on a canvas that already has an amazing painting on it. That wouldn’t make sense would it?
6. Don’t … Be Fooled By Cheap Fees
The term ‘you get what you pay for’ gets thrown around a lot these days, but it’s true.
There are a lot of online and budget agents that are appearing all over the place charging next to nothing to sell your property.
These agents can’t possibly provide you with the same service over the phone and the internet that a local agent can give you in person – it all sounds fantastic that you can sell up and move for such a little amount of money doesn’t it, so do your research.
Check out the customer services reviews before you commit. Make sure that this is really what you want and that you are not going to walk into a sea of disappointment – checkout out their website and Facebook Pages. You will know in a few minutes what you are getting into – and certainly do not give your debit/credit card details!
As traditional estate agents Campbells, just like others in our network of professional agents, are online too – we all are. Except we are not faceless – we have an expert on the end of the phone or face-to-face.
