Have you every tried to sell your property and found it is difficult to even get purchasers in the door?  This could be due to various factors and with the abundance of information now available on the internet more and more purchasers are doing their reasearch before they even make an appointment to view the property.  As such it’s vital that you adopt a similar approach and consider factors, such as broadband availability for instance, historic sale prices (allows buyers to see what you paid) and ensure you have your ‘ducks in line’ with answers ready.

Obviously being able to control the historic sale price information or availability of broadband in your area is not possible, as such you should do your research and be ready with as many positives as you can.  www.totallymoving.co.uk postcode search function can help with this and you should use this as part of your sales weaponry.  Below are some other factors to consider:

Factors you can control are:

1. Local Information
   You can find out a wealth of information using our postcode search function, including the proximity of services such as vets, doctors, dentists, transport, etc…  Make a note of where the nearest train station is situated and whether it has a direct line into a mainline station or popular destination.  For instance, properties with a direct and regular route into London say may well command a higher price as commuters may be looking to relocated out of London or even other big cities.
2. Environmental Information
   Our postcode search function provides you with access to the Environment Agency’s map data, which displays a wealth of useful information such as flooding risk, landfill, pollution, etc…  This can be useful as flooding is a concern to many these days and as such if there is a risk of flooding say, you may be able to explain to potential purchasers that you’ve never been affected and/or have taken measures to prevent problems occurring.
3. Property Specific InformationAre you aware of the problems/defects your property is being affected by?  Knowledge is power and you can now purchase an RICS Home Condition Report which provides you with a detailed report on defects affecting your property.  This empowers you to find solutions, such as carrying our repairs; adjusting the price or (not that we recommend this bit as it may well be illegal) hiding the defects.  For a few hundred pounds you could save yourself many times that in wasted legal costs and/or time should a future purchaser’s surveyor find the problems you could have identified at the outsetYou can get free quotes from local surveyors who can provide this service on the quotes page at www.totallymoving.co.ukHave you undertaken alterations?  If so ensure you have the Building Regulation/Local Authority consents and any guarantees to hand so show potential purchasers, this can help reassure them that they are dealing with someone who is on top of things and who is trying to deal with them in a professional manner, as well as again saving time/costs later when they request the information via lawyers (who may charge you for the privilege of providing it to the purchaser).  You should ensure that the lawyers have such information when you instruct them.You can get free quotes from local lawyers who can provide this service on the quotes page at www.totallymoving.co.uk

   Your purchasers will likely know what properties in the area have/are selling for, so do your research as well.  Have a look online and find similar properties, preferably in your street, that have sold recently and have this information ready to substantiate your potential sale price.

   You can find local properties for sale, as well as historic property prices, using the postcode search function at www.totallymoving.co.uk

4. Kerb Appeal
   It’s all well and good having a wealth of information to provide to your potential buyer, but if you can’t get them in the door in the first place due to the external areas looking tatty, then the effort is wasted.  As such ensure you do the following.Stand outside your property – What do you see?  Is the garden overgrown?  Decorations tatty? parking difficult (ensure you arrange viewings when it’s not too busy) in short put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and look at the property as they would.  Savvy buyers will look for properties that have a tatty external appearance and/or the gardens look overgrown.  Why do they do this, because they know that it’s a simple fix that can really help sell a property.  The first thing the potential buyer sees is the outside of the property, as such make sure it’s inviting and that is true EVEN BEFORE the Estate Agent takes their photos!
5. Internal Areas
   Your buyer enters the house and is greeted with bad smells, dirty washing, poor decorations, etc… These are simple fixes that can really help sell your property.  As such plan each viewing and ensure that the property is adequately prepared, put a pot of coffee on, bake bread, air freshener (not too much though as they may think you are trying to hide something), tidy decorations (simple coat of paint can help) and ensure that you plan your viewing. Start and end the viewing with a positive, saving the best till last is a good idea as the buyer will likely remember the good points as well as the bad, so why not make sure they have the best at the end?

In short do your research and put yourself in your buyer’s shoes.  Try to look objectively at your home, that’s what your buyer is likely doing and it’s important that you do the same.  Have as much information available as you can and provide (or leave it for the buyer in a visible place if you’re not there) and don’t rely on the Estate Agent doing their job properly.  Remember it’s your house and you who will lose out if it doesn’t sell.  As the Scouts say, BE PREPARED.  Best of luck.