Selling your house

Top10things to do when Selling your House

Selling your house? Here are the top 10 things you must do if you want to make a quick and successful sale.

Most of these may seem obvious but many sellers overlook the simple things which can make their home much more desirable and easy to sell. The last thing we all want is to either struggle with selling or have to drop the price dramatically, especially if we have our sights set on our next dream house.

1CURB APPEAL It is vitally important to make a good impression to your potential buyers, not only when they arrive for a viewing but also on the photo for your listing on the property sites. This is the fi rst thing everyone will see so make sure that lawns are cut, woodwork is painted and upvc is wiped down.

2CREATE A WELCOME Make sure that the entrance to your home is welcoming and organised. Only hang a few coats, not every single jacket that you own... the same goes for shoes. Don’t leave your favourite gym trainers kicked in the corner, although you love them, chances are that nobody else will. Get a door matt, but be careful if you opt for a comedy message printed on it, not everyone will fi nd it funny. 3CLEAN This may be one of the most important steps. Clean and then clean again. Let’s be honest, most of us are not completing our weekly routine to the standard of a deep clean. Don’t miss out light fi ttings, windows and cupboards. Once you have fi nished this step your work isn’t done... you have to maintain the standard of clean so you are ready for the viewings and not caught out.

4DECLUTTER Most of us will fi nd this a challenge. You have to be ruthless with this. Do you really need 45 scarves, 99 pairs of shoes and 500 paperbacks? Have a clear out; donate, bin and sell. You will be amazed how quickly you will free up space and how tidy your house will suddenly look once you have shed some unused possessions. Not to mention it will make your move easier with less to pack and give you extra cash for any items you can sell, you’d be surprised how much you will make.

5THINK NEUTRALS Have you gone with a bold and creative pallet for the paint and wallpaper in your home? Maybe it’s time to tone down your style and go for something with a wider audience appeal that helps potential buyers imagine their things in your home. A more neutral pallet will help increase the appeal and lighter colours can make the rooms look bigger.

6FINISH OFF Now is the time to fi nish any of those half completed DIY jobs. Does it need repairing? If the answer is yes best get it fi xed. 7REMOVE PERSONAL ITEMS Your children might be budding artists but it is time to take down the gallery on the fridge and limit the family photos on display. Once again this depersonalises your home and helps the potential buyers to subconsciously imagine themselves living in that space with their own family. You almost need to create a ‘clean slate’ appeal which buyers put their own stamp on.

8REARRANGE The way you have set out your furniture and belongings may be the way it best suits you and your family, but is it the most practical or aesthetically pleasing. Rearrange furniture and even remove furniture if things are too cluttered. Nothing makes a room feel smaller than having too much furniture in it. Make sure walk ways are clear and that doors open fully.

9NAME THAT SMELL Does your home smell? Are you sure? You might love your pets so much you might be oblivious to their odours. Ask a good friend who will be honest with you and get them to give your home a nose test.

10 RELAX With all of these steps followed your home will have an effortless and relaxing appeal. Add some fi nishing touches like freshly cut fl owers. Make sure the environment is quiet, don’t arrange viewings for when your son is competing in a Fortnite tournament or when the teenage children next door have got band practice. No one wants to listen to a warzone or thrash metal when they are about to commit to such a large investment.

Don’t get caught out by property faults in a rush to beat the stamp duty deadline

YOU DECIDE to make the move or invest in a holiday home on the coast, now is a great time with the current incentives around. However, a sobering statistic is that 1 in 4 sales fall through, costing the homebuyer on average £2700. Property issues can crop up pre or post sale, ranging from new build snags to more serious considerations for older properties.

Any conveyancing solicitor or mortgage broker will advise you to do your homework. After all, you and the lender are investing money into an asset and their job is to make sure the investment is sound. But there are checks you can do yourself for your own peace of mind during viewings.

PROBLEMS TO LOOK FOR IN

OLDER HOMES

Older homes are generally more prone to problems after sale. You may not pick this up when viewing and making offers, but, after moving in, they may become apparent. Which include most of the issues you may experience in a new build. Boilers and heating systems are a common issue. Unlike new builds, with a new energy efficient combi boiler and thermostatically controlled radiators, that Victorian property may have a boiler that has not been serviced or maintained in years. You need to assess whether replacing would be a better option than making do with stored hot water and an inefficient and expensive heating system. Damp may be an issue. Don’t forget to look up! Many homeowners see damp as a common issue in older properties. This can be due to condensation which can affect airtight, modern homes. Water ingress from roofs and foundations needs to be remedied, but better air circulation can often improve damp and mould caused by condensation. A reputable builder or surveyor can help identify any issues. Bathrooms. You need to check WCs, bathrooms and en-suite shower rooms carefully for functionality and aesthetics. New homeowners claim that low water pressure, faulty cisterns and leaking shower cubicles are the most common faults.

Electricals. While electrical checks must always be carried out by a professional, there are some visible signs of potential problems you can look out for. Singe marks on light fitting and switches and sockets or visible loose fittings and cracked socket housings are warning signs of poor maintenance and need to be raised with the vendor’s representative. COMMON ISSUES IN

NEW BUILDS

Like any home, new builds can have defects from minor to serious, but the good news is that it is incumbent on your developer to fix these quickly and you can report faults for up to two years. These are some of the most common things to check out. External doors and windows. New homeowners often have issues with new windows and doors. We have heard stories of French doors “moving” in new homes so they are difficult to close and lock. Trickle vents in windows can be badly fitted and we have seen reports of condensation within double glazed panes. Internal doors. As homes “dry out” it’s often inevitable that internal doors move and may need adjusting or removing and planing to make them fit correctly. This is one of the more common complaints in new homes.

Kitchens. The heart of the home and one that you will probably spend a lot of time in. Homeowners often point to multiple issues here with kitchen taps, sinks, issues with tiling and finish. Other problems like no holes to accommodate the pipes and cables for washing machines and dishwashers in kitchen units are common. Again, a site foreman or one of the team can easily sort this for you providing you report it promptly. Kitchen units, like the property’s internal and external doors, may need some adjustments too. Reception rooms. Common issues here include ill-fitting electrical points, low quality floor fittings. If you’ve paid extra for these, you can take action but longer term, many new home owners upgrade flooring upstairs and downstairs.

TYPES OF PROPERTY SURVEYS

At their most basic, mortgage companies will ask for mortgage valuations, also known as Level One, this is conducted by a surveyor to provide the lender with a level of confidence that the property is free from major issues.

Secondly, a home buyer report probes deeper and looks beyond residuals, comparisons and postcodes. These are sometimes referred to as Level Two surveys.

Finally, a full structural survey, now called a Building Survey, will provide a detailed report on a house.

For new homes, a Level One survey will usually suffice if the developer is reputable and registered with the NHBC. Without a doubt though, you will need to go through a process of ‘snagging’ throughout the property to highlight problems needing remedial work by the developer in a timely fashion.

Snagging is simply a way of checking that your new home is up to standard. This means that everything works and looks as it should in aesthetic terms.

Whichever survey you choose during the buying process, it will identify some potential issues. However, this, in all probability will be after you are already way down the line.

There are businesses that do house condition or snagging checks before you commit. These are usually conducted by a professional that acts on behalf of you, the buyer and not the lender, developer or estate agent. The beauty of having an independent house check is that you are completely in-the-know before committing to a purchase that could cost you more money in the long run or even prevent you letting your home out in a timely manner.

Independent property checkers are experts that have a checklist of at least 150 checks including interacting with fixtures and fittings. Some also provide a comprehensive report with photos, which you can refer back to time and time again while you are deciding on a property.

Property is a major investment and you need to differentiate in a new build and older home whether the issues are serious (subsidence and Japanese knotweed) or minor (low water pressure, doors that don’t fit snugly) and take expert advice throughout the home buying process.

Brightchecker are independent, professional property checkers that work on behalf of the buyer and specialise in property condition checks before buyers commit to a purchase. Checks start at £149.99 + VAT for internal checks on a property with up to 4 bedrooms. Visit:

brightchecker.com/homebuyers

Please call 0800 0096 856 or contact info@brightchecker.com to discuss your requirements.