If you’re thinking about selling your house this winter, you may be wondering how you can take advantage of the buoyant market in order to find a buyer quickly and sell at a good price. Whatever your reasons for selling, there are many factors to consider which can help attract potential buyers. Here are seven important one’s…
1. Professional photography
The saying ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ is so true when selling a home. Excellent imagery of interiors, gardens and the exterior ensures sophisticated presentation which is the key to successful marketing. This is because they are the first thing a buyer will see whether it be a portal, brochure, newspaper or an estate agent’s website. Bad images can easily put buyers off if they’re not up to scratch, and you only get one chance to make that all important first impression. Otherwise, you risk your house being on the market for longer, de-valuing in the mind of buyers. It’s therefore vital to ensure your house is being marketed with professional imagery which will capture the finer details of fixtures, fittings and character features, as well as produce sharp exterior and garden shots. This is even more important in winter when gardens will be looking bare and the skies dark. This level of quality cannot be achieved with a smartphone.
2. Dangle the ‘bauble’ of attractive pricing
It’s no secret that Stamford, Rutland and South Lincolnshire are in a hot sellers market, with good quality homes selling fast and for great prices. However, you need to make sure you do not overprice your property when launching to market. The consequence of doing so usually results in taking a longer time to sell, where often the final purchase price will be lower than if you had had your home valued correctly from the start. With a short window after launch before a home becomes stale in the eyes of a buyer, competitive pricing will allow for a greater volume of viewings, bidding wars, a higher selling price and a quicker sale. Here we explain these benefits a bit further.
3. Embrace modern technology and maximise marketing exposure
A good estate agent will be embracing modern technologies alongside traditional methods in order to create the best results for their sellers in print and online. How people find and view homes has changed, especially during the pandemic, so you need to make sure your house is being marketed beyond a shop window, website or portal. Other platforms such as social media and national press are excellent ways to attract the attention of property buyers, with tools such as PR, blogs, video tours and professional photography all playing their part in creating attractive content around properties, as well as ensuring widespread exposure.
4. Prepare your home for sale
To achieve optimal results when putting your home on the market, it is important to stand out from the crowd. A dirty, messy property inside and out whether in photographs or on viewings is not going to entice buyers to make a good offer, if one at all. There’s no need to completely revamp your house or embark on a costly renovation project to achieve a sale, but you will need to ensure it’s looking its very best. A few well-chosen tweaks can give it a fresh look and feel without squandering your savings. Things to consider include decluttering, having a deep clean, tidying away toys and tools, ensuring plenty of light, mowing the lawn, hoovering and fixing minor repairs.
5. Highlight key features
The pandemic has brought about a change in what is at the top of a buyers’ house hunting check list. Outside space, home offices, spacious rooms, energy efficiency and good broadband speeds are all being prioritised now, so make sure these are being highlighted in your property’s description for the brochure, portals and estate agent’s website.
6. Be flexible
Buyers love a flexible seller, particularly on price as well as on the agreed completion date. Consider the position of your buyer because if they are chain free or are purchasing in cash for example, they should allow for a quicker less complicated sale. The assurance of minimal stress and a swift move can often be tempting enough to agree to a lower price or a delayed completion date. Plus from a buyer’s perspective, they are more likely to make an offer if they feel the seller is going to be easy to deal with. You’d be surprised at how many purchasers get put off or pull out of a sale because they feel a seller is being difficult.
7. Don’t choose an estate agent based on who is offering the lowest fee
Ultimately to achieve the above, you need a good estate agent who truly understands their local property market. Do your research and find a reputable firm who have an excellent record for selling your type of property. Don’t choose one based on who is charging the lowest fee. Any agent can sell a house, but a skilled one will be able to attractive plenty more interest quickly. Those charging a higher commission are usually the one’s advising and implementing all of the above.
For more information about selling your country house in Rutland, Stamford or South Lincs, contact Ildi or Jan on 01780 750 200 or e-mail: stamford@fineandcountry.com
Rutland and Stamford Luxury Property Blog 