‘I have six honest serving men they taught me all I know’ R. Kipling
Decide why you want to sell.
This may seem an obvious question, but it is one which is often overlooked. The current Covid 19 restrictions have left many people feeling a need to move from their existing homes. Is this just a temporary feeling and based on irrational thought? Or is it a clearly defined rational decision? Thinking this through clearly could save you a lot of time, trouble, and money later on!
Some may feel their existing home doesn’t offer enough space, which may be perfectly true. However could the additional space you require be acquired through an extension, a loft conversion, an outside garden office or changing the internal floorplan or the use of built in storage? Defining what the ‘Why’ is will give you clarity and confidence in what you do next.
Decide when you would like to move.
Doing this in a timely fashion should avoid you taking any rash decisions in haste. Knowing when your ideal move date would be enables you to work backwards and give yourself a sensible time plan to work from. Taking into account enough time to obtain market appraisals (most sellers opt for three agents to look at their home) a marketing period once you have instructed an agent, the period between an agreed sale and completion (currently on average around 16 weeks!).
Next.. Decide what your next property must have.
You may be clear about your decision why you want to sell your existing home; it does not mean you are clear about what your next home should provide! You may have concluded you wish to sell to obtain a larger living space. However, do you want a different layout, more living space in terms of more rooms, larger rooms, open-plan Vs kitchen/dinner etc.
Decide where you want to buy next.Be flexible on this,
I don’t mean decide on a single location. Think about different acceptable locations. This can sometimes throw up some surprising results, be prepared to explore area’s you hadn’t previously considered, sometimes being just a few hundred metres away from a desired location can provide a much more habitable home at a lower price. Knowing which areas, you are interested in can make the property search feel less like of a drag and more like a great exploration!
Decide How many minor improvements you need to make before marketing your home.
Draw up a checklist by looking at your home from a buyer’s viewpoint. It may be refreshing the paint in one or two rooms, fixing a leaking tap, making sure doors shut properly, all your light bulbs and fittings work. Also, have a good clear-out, what can you sell on Ebay? What can you donate to the Charity shops? What can you remove to the tip?. All of which means that when you take the next step, you are now ready to..
Decide who you want to sell your home
.Local and internet research coupled with family or friends’ recommendations will likely throw up a selection of agents to choose from. When you have made your selection, request them around for a market appraisal. Choice of agency will be a personal decision, but you should present your home for market appraisal as you would present for a buyer visit. Ask the agent to advise you on presentation recommendations, a lot can be learned from what they may tell you.
Mutual | The Off-Market Property Platform
www.mutualoffmarket.com
Mutual is a new kind of property platform enabling hesitant sellers to check buyer interest ahead of selling their home and it enables those who are looking to buy, an opportunity to view properties ahead of them being available for sale!
Max Fuller is the founder and Creator of the Mutual Pre-Portal Property Platform.