How to Sell Your Home in a Hurry

November 22, 2006 By Matthew Paulson

Putting your house on the market is one of the most stressful things you’ll ever do. And if it refuses to sell, it’s easy to feel demoralised, and unsure of what you’re doing wrong. There are a few easy steps you can take to improve your chances of selling…

-First impressions are hugely important. Tidy up the front garden and driveway, and paint the front door to give it a vibrant, new look. Replace old fittings and appliances, and polish the bathroom and kitchen until they sparkle. Remember, most people form and impression about a house within the first ten seconds, so you need to make that initial impact in order to give yourself an edge over other sellers.

-Do you have a storage room? The kind of place where stuff mounts up over the years? Stop calling it a storage room, get rid of the clutter, and turn it into another bedroom.

-Make sure you select the best agent for the type of property you are selling. Look in their window – do they sell houses similar to yours? Don’t be afraid to ask your agents why they think your house hasn’t sold, and what you can do to help them.

-Don’t price yourself out of the market. In the current climate you want to attract as many viewers through the door as possible. Start with low guide price and you’ll attract enough bidders to push the price up. If it still doesn’t sell, drop your price further, there’s no point hanging onto the margins in the hope that you’ll get lucky.

-Make your home as environmentally friendly as possible. This can be a key area in winning over some prospective buyers. Get a new boiler from someone like British Gas if your current one is older than ten years – a new model will be more efficient. Fitting solar panels may seem an expensive step, but the attendant savings it will create can add thousands to the value of the property.

-Compare the market for similar houses in similar areas and adjust your price accordingly. Fish4.co.uk has a huge online property resource to compare and contrast.

-Go Alone. You may want to consider dispensing with an estate agent all together and selling your own property. Always bear in mind that the agent’s primary concern is their commission – it’s easy to be swayed by their optimistic valuations and mark your house far too high to be competitive. Brightproperty.co.uk offers an online property marketing service without the need for a middleman.

Remember, don’t overestimate the value of your house – this is probably the main cause of delayed sales. Get as many viewers as you can and try to impress them quickly when they come to look at your property.

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