Our Director, Jan von Draczek, explains what you need to think about when choosing an estate agent, to include two factors you must avoid.

We understand that everybody is tightening their belts a bit more with soaring energy bills and mortgage rates – of course, we are too. However, in some instances, for example when choosing an estate agent, it’s really important to consider other aspects other than financial ones, because it could end up costing you more in the long run. 

All too often I hear of the same two reasons some sellers choose an estate agent… ‘they have the lowest fees’ or‘they valued my home the highest.’ However the reality is, choosing an estate agent based on just these factors is almost a disaster waiting to happen, ie most homes being advertised via these estate agents struggle to sell, or do so below what they are actually worth. Why?

In today’s market especially, sellers really must focus on how good an estate agent is at their job. How likely are they going to secure you a fast sale for the best possible price? I can honestly say after over 35 years of working in the property industry, that most low fee agents are cheap for a reason, and the reason why you’re probably being offered too high a price is because that agent has a ‘new instruction’ target to meet, so needs your business. Often these agents are not even selling in your price bracket and therefore they don’t have proved trach record and / or experience selling homes like yours. Sadly, it’s only once a property has launched that the cracks begin to show and by that point, the damage has already been done. Questions and concerns start to arise from sellers, such as: Where are the enquiries? Why are people making really low offers?

There are two main reasons why this happening… either the price is too high, the marketing isn’t suitable – or it’s both. Now of course, this often depends on the type of property you are trying to sell. For example, if you’re selling a little buy to let where there is no emotional attachment from the buyer ie a landlord, then you don’t necessarily need all the bells and whistles. They just want to know the rental figures. However, if you own a really lovely looking house with oodles of land for example, you want sophisticated presentation. If you are selling a grand country house which looks a bit of a wreck inside because it offers a huge renovation opportunity, you will still need professional presentation to present all the possibilities and opportunities. No matter what a house looks like, every home is unique, and the more attractive and rare it is, the more likely it will need a superior bespoke marketing strategy to stand out from the crowd and attract as much interest as possible. This includes things like having exquisite brochures made, vendor interviews, professional photography, lifestyle videos and property styling to name a few.

Professional photographs ensure this stunning Georgian house in Moulton Eaugate looks amazing

You’ll also need somebody placing your home in front of the eyes of applicable buyers. I don’t mean just launching on the property portals and hoping somebody picks up the phone… this is about having somebody on board who has a good book of registered buyers they can call up, and somebody who has access to local buying agents who have proceedable cash buyers raring to go. Other avenues include mail outs, social media and national PR. You need every suitable channel explored to tell the lucrative London, national and international markets that your home is for sale.

You also need an honest agent who knows the local market like the back of their hand, as that is the only way you are going to get the price right from the offset. Buyers are more cautious than they were just a few months ago, so you need to make sure you do not overprice. If you do, you seriously risk going stale on the portals where you may not be able to sell at all or if you do, it could be at a lower price than if it was right from the start. 

Staying on the market for too long can also mean missing out on potential houses to buy because you haven’t sold yet, or your mortgage rate may increase during that time. Whilst for those looking to downsize to reduce their cost of living expenditure such as energy bills or travel costs by being closer to work or schools, these are expenses you will still have to endure whilst you try and sell. All too often I have seen properties still for sale 12-18 months later, having gone to market at too high a price. 

My advice is trust what a good estate agent advises, even if the valuation is lower than what you were hoping for, and get at least three different valuations to give you an idea of what your home is actually worth. There is a very short window from when you launch to when things can go stale… 

And the icing on the cake? You want somebody who is excellent at negotiation, and can also help get the sale through as quickly and as efficiently as possible. These two elements are where the value really lies for the higher fee agents.

This gorgeous home in Longthorpe Green looks beautiful with twilight photography

The best estate agents are the one’s doing all of the above. They tend not to be the ones who are charging you the lowest fee or giving you the highest valuation… So when choosing your next estate agent, these questions should be on your list:

1. How will you be proactively finding me a buyer? 
2. What do your brochures look like? 
3. Do you work with local buying agents?
4. Do you use a professional photographer?
5. What marketing tools do you use to promote your homes? National PR is without a doubt one of the best ways to secure widespread exposure of your home. 
6. How much experience do you have selling my type of home? Please can you show me examples? 
7. How long have you specialised in the local property market?
8. What do your fees include? 
9. Ask your agent about their fee structure. For example, we offer a structured fee or a performance related fee

In summary

It can be very tempting to choose your estate agent based on who is charging the lowest fee or offering you the highest price, but you really do ‘get what you pay for’ in the property industry. Any agent can sell a house, but a skilled one will be able to attractive plenty of interest quickly, negotiate and sell for a high price due to a combination of in-depth local market knowledge and a good marketing strategy which ensures sophisticated presentation.

Find out more 

To find out more about how Fine & Country can market your home, contact our Rutland, Stamford & South Lincolnshire office on 01780 750 200 or the Oundle and North Northamptonshire office on 01832 808 008.

We were delighted to read in the Telegraph recently that Stamford has been named as having one of the best high streets in the country, taking fourth place. 

One of the key draws for Stamford is that it is a great place to shop. The high street is pedestrianised (no cars allowed!) and there is an array of fabulous independents in many of the town’s 600-odd listed buildings which range from medieval to Georgian. From speciality food stores and cafes to antique shops, furniture shops and clothing boutiques, many got a mention in the national newspaper which is fantastic exposure for them. Burghley House was also featured due to its appearance in the latest series of The Crown, but its Orangery serves up some splendid afternoon teas. 

What is the property market doing in Stamford? 

Stamford is still very much on the map for property hunters. Recent findings by house selling weather forecast, PropCast, show that this historic town is still in a hot sellers’ market with a market heat temperature of 45°. This means it is much easier to sell a property, and quickly. Meanwhile, Zoopla confirms that the average sold price for a property in Stamford in the last twelve months is now £384,998, whilst Rightmove’s latest data shows that overall, sold prices in Stamford over the last year were similar to the previous. This indicates that despite concerns and worries of prices tumbling due to the cost of living crisis, the good quality houses are still holding their value. 

All in all, it’s great news for sellers or those thinking about selling up soon. However, it is important to ensure your chosen estate agent implements the best marketing strategy for your home. Here are a few things to think about to ensure a quicker sale…

This modest sixties house which is a short walk to the town centre, has been transformed into a contemporary, family home perfect for modern living with its open plan layout and fabulous connection with the garden

8 tips for a fast sale

1. Don’t be fooled by low fees

It can be very tempting to choose your estate agent based on who is charging the lowest fee, but you really do ‘get what you pay for’ in the property industry. Any agent can sell a house, but a skilled one will be able to attractive plenty of interest quickly, negotiate and sell for a high price due to a combination of in-depth local market knowledge and a good marketing strategy. For example, in 2022, we sold a house which achieved the highest price on the open market that year.

2. Price your home correctly from the offset

Stamford is in a hot sellers’ market still, however, buyers are more cautious than they were just a few months ago, so you need to make sure you do not overprice your home. If you do, you seriously risk going stale on the portals and either not selling at all, or selling at a lower price than if the price was right from the start. Trust what your estate agent advises, and get at least three different valuations to give you an idea of what your home is worth. There is a very short window from when you launch to when things can go stale. Here are 6 reasons why you shouldn’t overprice your home.

3. You need professional photography

Excellent imagery of interiors, gardens and the exterior is a must. 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. This is even more important in winter when gardens are looking bare and the skies dark. A high level of quality cannot be achieved with a smartphone, and so every single one of our sellers receives beautiful imagery from our professional photographer.

A 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom home presented in beautiful order on the south side of Stamford

4. Embrace modern technology and maximise marketing exposure

How people find and view homes has changed, 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 the national press are excellent ways to attract the attention of property buyers, with tools such as PR, blogs, social media and video tours all playing their part in creating attractive content around properties, as well as ensuring widespread exposure. These are all channels we utilise. 

As a national and international brand with a wide network of over 300 locations worldwide, our properties are also showcased amongst a worldwide audience, whilst we have recently signed up to ListGlobally, which is a platform that feeds Fine & Country property listings directly onto 106 international portals across 54 countries, reaching up to 295 million buyers.

5. Beautiful brochures

Sophisticated presentation is paramount when selling a home, and your brochure is no exception. You need beautifully written brochures with fabulous imagery. We also include vendor interviews in ours so that buyers can read about the lifestyle of a home as well as what it’s like to live in the local area. See an example of what our brochures look like here.

6. Prepare your home for sale

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. 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. Fine & Country have an interior design and staging expert, who has been interviewed about decluttering by Hello Magazine. Here are some of our tips for selling in winter.

7. 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, commute connections, 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. 

8. Be flexible

Buyers love a flexible seller. 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. Be flexible on completion dates, and consider a lower offer if you have found the best buyer. A purchaser is 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 pull out of a sale because they feel a seller is being difficult.

Find Out More 

Moving home is one of the most important decisions you will make; your home is both a financial and emotional investment. We understand that it’s the little things – without a price tag – that make a house a home, and this makes us a valuable partner, whether you’re buying or selling. Our marketing is award winning having won nine awards in 2021, so do  contact our Rutland, Stamford & South Lincolnshire office on 01780 750 200 or the Oundle and North Northamptonshire office on 01832 808 008 for more information. 

Chapel Lane, Rutland

Spring is traditionally one of the best times of year to sell a country house. People are feeling happier with blue skies, lighter warmer days and a bit more sunshine in their lives rather than the dark cold days of winter. Families also begin their house search in time for the new September school year. Combine this with today’s very active market as a result of ‘pandemic buyers’ flocking to the countryside, Spring 2022 is a great season to be selling …

Buyer demand is still very strong causing record prices

Demand over the last two years has been truly remarkable, causing far more buyers than there are homes for sale. Rightmove have recently reported there are twice as many buyers as there are sellers and when compared to this time three years ago, sellers are twice as likely to find a buyer within the first week of launching. Meanwhile, house selling weather forecast, PropCast, has found buyer demand is very strong in our area. Anything over 50° is considered a very hot sellers’ market so in Grantham for example, the market heat temperature is 74°, meaning 74% of homes for sale are under off or subject to contract. In Stamford it’s 73°, The Deepings it’s 72°, in Rutland it’s 67° and in Bourne it’s 67°. This indicates sellers in our area have a very good chance of selling their home quickly – as long as you make sure your chosen estate agent has priced and marketed your home correctly of course.

As a result of demand outweighing supply, house prices keep on rising. Rightmove’s latest Index says the average house coming onto the market jumped by 1.7% last month to £353,545, in the biggest month-on-month increase since the mid-noughties. Meanwhile Nationwide reports annual house price growth increased 14.3% between February and March this year. 

Beautiful gardens

Your garden is more important than ever before now, being a big priority for those looking for a country house. The joy of this time of year is that gardens are starting to look very pretty with lots of colour and greenery. This makes for a stunning setting not just on viewings but also in photographs. If you’re lucky enough to have a south facing garden as well, prospective buyers will be able to see just how much sun they can enjoy during the day if they live there themselves.

More light and warmth

This time of year brings longer days, which is great news when selling a home. This is because a brighter home has a much better chance of selling than a darker one. Our professional photographer can really maximise the natural light to create amazing photos as well. Also, given the choice between moving home in the freezing cold and pouring rain, or the warmth of the sun, most buyers will choose the latter. 

Families are looking for schools now

The new school year starts in September and for some families, this means their children are starting at primary or secondary level. With school places now secured, such buyers are now looking for a family home close by, usually within a twenty minute drive. We are very lucky in our part of the country as the region boasts some outstanding schools such as Oundle School, Uppingham School, Casterton College, Oakham Primary, Prince William, Spalding High and Grammar and Stamford Junior and High School. Homes with three plus bedrooms, two bathrooms house and a good sized garden close to these schools are highly sought after. 

Find Out More? 

Contact Jan or Ildi on 01780 750 200 – we would be delighted to explain further the benefits of selling in Spring.

With Rutland, Stamford and South Lincs seeing a booming housing market over the last couple of years (which is predicted to continue throughout 2022), it may be tempting to try and sell your home yourself. However there’s more to selling a house than saying it’s for sale, not to mention a long list of risks for not using an estate agent.

Most people do use an estate agent to sell their country house. There are plenty of reasons for doing so… Selling requires good preparation. It’s also stressful, time consuming and a world of mind boggling laws, processes and local market knowledge. A good agent can be critical to reducing stress levels and securing the best possible price in a timely scale. Find a good one, and their fee is worth every penny. Here’s a few reasons why you should always instruct an agent… 

Property knowledge

Unless they’re an estate agent themselves, sellers won’t understand how the local market is performing, how their type of house sells, who buys them, how best to market them to that target audience and how much something is realistically worth. Get this wrong and you won’t sell quickly for the best possible price. A good estate agent has all of the experience necessary to give you the best chance of selling quickly and for the best price.

Setting the price right from the offset

We may be in a hot sellers market at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you can wack a huge premium on a house. It will only be worth what a buyer is prepared to pay. Last year demand was very intense, and whilst we expect there to be an inbalance between demand and supply again this year, buyers may be more cautious about how much they spend due to rising energy prices and the bank rate. 

Registered buyers

Estate agents have a good pool of serious registered buyers, especially at the moment because there are far more purchasers than there are available homes for sale. 

Conduct viewings on your behalf

We always recommend sellers don’t conduct viewings themselves. This is simply because it tends to make buyers uncomfortable, risking putting them off altogether. Agents are in the best position to arrange the viewings, conduct them and answer any questions. They will always update you afterwards as to how the viewing went.

Various marketing platforms

Sell via an estate agent and you will have access to all of the marketing platforms they use to promote houses to the widest possible audience – not just locally. For example: we advertise locally, we have a press office securing editorial around our houses in the national press such as The Times and Country Life, we list our homes on all of the main property portals, an interactive website, we have global exposure as a result of being part of a huge international network, we have a window display in Mayfair at Fine & Country’s HQ and we appear in Fine & Country’s luxury magazine each month.  People buy as much into lifestyle of a property and its location as they do the bricks and mortar, so we utilise sophisticated, intelligent and creative marketing that provides the type of information buyers need to see.

Good negotiation skills

Negotiating with buyers is not for the faint hearted, and something estate agents are highly trained in doing. They are the best equipped to negotiate on your behalf to get the best possible result. It can be time consuming, stressful and complicated – especially if there are bidding wars or sealed bids going on.

Keeping updated on progress

A good estate agent will keep an eye on everybody’s involvement in the process, from others in the chain through to solicitors. Remember, our job is to manage the sales process from beginning to end to ensure a smooth sale for you. 

Find Out More 

Despite it being a really strong housing market here, there are numerous things to think about to attract significant interest quickly, and then ensure a smooth ride to exchange and completion. For more information about Fine & Country can help, contact Jan or Ildi on 01780 750 200 or e-mail: stamford@fineandcountry.com. 

Traditionally, the winter season isn’t seen as a prime time to be selling a home, but the property portals tell a different story. Boxing Day in particular sees a surge of buyer activity, and we believe there are plenty of other benefits too for selling during the Christmas period. Here are a few of them plus some top tips for selling this December…

Portals see a surge in web hits

All of the portals claim that they see a substantial spike in web hits over the festive season, in particular Boxing Day. Rightmove for example have announced that last year they recorded 51 million visits between Boxing Day and new year – a 54% rise on the year before. With free time on their hands combined with the digital age we now live in, it’s of no surprise that people are browsing on their tablets and mobile phones to see whether they can find their dream home – often it’s a new year’s resolution. We too have seen internet traffic on our website increase during the Christmas holidays, so it is absolutely vital that sellers are taking advantage of this online activity. Last year, we received 30 phone calls and 18 emails from the portals we advertise on, and I suspect we shall see the same if not more this year as the buying frenzy for country life continues as a result of the pandemic.

There’s reduced competition

There’s usually far more buyers than there are properties for sale over the winter season, which means sellers don’t have to ‘compete’ with as many people to grab the attention of purchasers. This tends to have a positive impact on how high the offers are …

Buyer demand is still going strong

Over the last eighteen months, many of our houses sold within a week of launching to market – most of them within a month. This intense demand is still going strong, far outpacing the volume of good quality of homes for sale. We are organising on average 10 viewings on our homes, even now when we’re just 3 weeks away from Christmas Day! Buyers are still paying a premium to live in and around Stamford, Rutland and South Lincs too, in their quest for an idyllic life in the countryside. Our sellers who have seen the best sales results are those with homes in good condition, have large gardens, a good alfresco entertaining area and either a separate office or a dedicated study within the house itself. Now is the perfect time to be taking advantage of this activity.

Homes are warm and cosy

Winter is the perfect time to play on your home’s cosy, family-friendly charm, especially on viewings. There’s something quite magical about walking into a property and seeing the warm glow of table lamps, candle light and a fire, alongside tabletop centre pieces with winter greenery and seasonal senses including a cinnamon diffuser and a freshly cut Christmas tree. It makes a buyer imagine exactly what it would be like for them to spend Christmas there themselves. 

Be careful with seasonal photographs 

It’s better if you have photographs taken before you put your decorations up, or have them removed temporarily whilst pictures are being taken. This is because if your home is still on the market in the new year, you will give away how long it’s been on the market for if buyers can still see any hint of Father Christmas and his reindeer. 

Be tasteful with your decorations

Try to keep Christmas decorations simple rather than garish, as buyers could easily be put off on viewings if there’s colourful ornaments, inflatable santa’s and flashing bright lights everywhere. 

Remove the signs of winter from your home

Presentation is key when selling, even more so in winter when the rooms will feel darker and mud and dust will be around far more than in the warmer months. You need to ensure your house is looking its very best in photographs and on viewings, so deep clean absolutely everywhere (especially if you have dogs!), hoover regularly, salt icy driveways and sweep the paths and garden free of leaves and debris. 

Warm the house up

It’s no doubt going to be cold so ensure the heating is on long before the first viewing arrives. A lit fire is an added bonus for creating a lovely ambiance should you have one, two or three!

Maximise Light

Winter brings much darker days, so you need to allow as much daylight in as possible for viewings. Ensure all curtains and blinds are open, turn on all of your lights, invest in higher wattage bulbs and remove large objects away from windows where they may be blocking natural light.

Book viewings during daylight

If possible, try and have viewings during the day when it’s light so that buyers can see your home as best as they can. 

Find an agent who is open during the holidays

In addition to choosing a good estate agent who truly understands their local property market, knows how to promote your home to the widest possible audience, and won’t overprice your house in order to win your business, it’s worth having somebody who is open during the Christmas holidays. Ideally, you want them at least responding to buyer enquiries, even if it’s for booking viewings in for the new year rather than the latter part of December. Do let them know if you are happy to have viewings between the 27^th and new years however – just remember to tell them when you will be entertaining guests! 

Find Out More

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

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