Wouldn’t it be really nice if I could write blog without mentioning the ‘B’ word. Unfortunately, whatever your politics on the matter, it is evident that many industries, including property, are being affected by the indecision over the Brexit debate and to avoid discussing it wouldn’t be doing you, our valued readers and clients, any service either. As I write this still no decision has been made over whether the UK is to leave the EU with or without a deal or whether Article 50 might be extended, which may continue this paralysis of indecision homebuyers currently find themselves in. This time of year would usually be my prompt to give you a lowdown on tips for selling your home in spring. Some of us need to sell our property, for many, many reasons, and Brexit can’t stand in our way. So, I thought, why not give you some tips on trying to sell during Brexit?
- Price
I could start by asking you how well presented your home is and how fluffed-up the cushions are looking on the sofa but, instead, I’m facing up to facts; is your property being marketed at the right price? Ask yourself some of these questions:
- How long has my property been on the market?
- How many viewings have I had in this time?
- What are similar properties selling for in my area?
If you are answering over twelve weeks and your viewings are still in single digits, now may be the time to ask yourself, or talk to your agent, about whether your property is being marketed at too high a price for the current market. Just nudging your asking price down into the search criteria below where you’re sitting on Rightmove could bring a whole new set of prospective buyers clicking on your property and arranging a viewing.
- Presentation
Okay, so dropping the price isn’t palatable for you and you strongly believe Brexit is slowing down the market in your area. So, what other options are available to you? After price, presentation is the most important factor; the well-groomed front driveway as prospective buyers pull up at the kerb, that welcoming smell of fragrant flowers or fresh coffee as the viewers come through the door. Try and look at your property through your prospective buyers’ eyes. Here’s a few areas which could make all the difference when it comes to first impressions:
- Firstly, the place where your prospective buyer first sees your property is, most likely these days, on the internet. Poor or outdated photos might put a buyer off. Take a look at yours; has your property been on the market since last summer with full leaves on the trees? Is it worth asking the agent to come out on a fresh, bright spring day, like now, and take some up-to-date images? Was the house looking a little messy the day the agent came to take the photos? If you’re thinking about presentation, perhaps do some of the things suggested below and then ask for some new photos to be taken and uploaded.
- Declutter: Before you go as far as redecorating the house from top to bottom, start with a declutter. Recycle all those old magazines in the rack, tidy up the book shelves, I know you love all your toddler’s finger paintings that you lovingly pin to the fridge door every time he comes home from playgroup but, for the purposes of selling your home, could you possibly live without them on the fridge door for a few weeks? Degrease the cookerhood, make the oven sparkle, get a window cleaner in to give all the windows and doors a spring clean and get some bleach on that mould, you’ve been meaning to do something about for ages, in between the en-suite shower tiles. Oh, and don’t forget the garden too; it might be too early in the year to mow the lawn but get your gardening gloves on, take out all that dead foliage which has been hanging around from the autumn and get a hoe and make the edges of the lawn sharp so the grass isn’t hanging over half the patio tiles. I went all Kim Woodburn then, didn’t I? But… how clean is your house? It could make the difference between a viewer liking it and wanting to leave asap.
- Décor: Okay, so you’ve given the house a good spring clean but that’s only made it glaringly obvious that the hall is full of sticky finger prints and mud splatters where the dog comes home from a wet walk and shakes his coat out all over the entrance hall. See, we all live with it. I am not suggesting that you start changing the colour scheme in every room, but it might be worth getting a paint brush out and re-painting high usage areas, such as the hallway, and touching up chipped or marked woodwork. All will help your home look neat, tidy and presentable to prospective viewers.
- Furniture: Again, I’m not suggesting you go out and buy all new furniture but take a look at how you live in your home and think if there’s any way you can make it look a bit more spacious? Buyers like space. It may be physical space but, in their mind’s eye, they are thinking about how they would place their belongings in the same space and if the space is currently full of your clutter and large pieces of furniture, this may prevent them from being able to imagine themselves living in your home. Have a think if there’s a few choice pieces of furniture you could remove from the property whilst you try to sell it. Or could you rearrange the sofas to make the living room look bigger? Okay, so it might prevent you from looking straight at the TV of an evening for a few weeks, but wouldn’t it be beneficial in the long run?
- Time for a new agent?
If your property hasn’t sold within 16-20 weeks, it may be time to think about a new agent. It is tough in the current Brexit market, but the right agent should be valuing your property realistically to encourage viewers through the door and marketing your property online and in person i.e. trying to get the very best deal for you. It is better to have a recently (re)launched property with a new agent rather than sticking a reduced price tag on it. A different approach with a fresh pair of eyes may make all the difference.
Having trouble selling your property? Or thinking of selling but worried about the current climate? Contact us on 01452 310999, email us at gloucester@surepropertygroup.com or call into our offices in Worcester Street, Gloucester, to discuss your needs further.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes,
Rob Buckley
Director
Sure Sales & Lettings