Selling a home can be stressful for anyone; when it’s your first time, you can find yourself overwhelmed by the process. With a little bit of planning, the stress and hassle of selling your home will go away.
In this guide, we’ll help you navigate the sometimes scary world of selling your home.
Cash House Buyer
When you’re a first-time seller, sometimes you want to avoid the stress and sell quickly. Using an individual or company that is able to buy your property outright could help you do that. Cash buyers have the money to make the purchase on hand and don’t need to sell properties or acquire mortgages for the necessary funds. Cash buyers can provide proof of funds if you’re unsure if they’re genuine, and because they have the money available, the sales process is completed swiftly.
Many sellers use professional house buying companies instead of individuals for the peace of mind that they are genuine cash buyers with the funds available. Suppose you’re wondering which companies can ‘buy my property?’ there are plenty to choose from online. However, it’s essential to be sure they are a legitimate company such as Housebuyers4u before accepting any offers.
Estate Agents
If you’re not looking to sell quickly and wait to wait for the right buyer to come to you, you’ll need to choose an estate agent to list your property with; that could be a local business or an online-only company. As with using a cash buyer, it’s important you trust the agent you are instructing, and an excellent way to develop this trust is by speaking with them directly and making sure they have good reviews. Selling your house is a long process, so you need to know that you’re using an estate agent that you get on well with that can produce the results you want.
Sale Price
When selling your home, you need to get your property valued in order to set an accurate sale price to attract buyers. You can do this through your local estate agent or via an online valuation company. Ultimately it’s your decision to set the price, but a valuation will give you a good guide and recommended price to help you select the right price for you. Keep in mind when setting your sale price that a buyer may wish to lower the selling price to account for the stamp duty, which is why it is good to go a little higher than the minimum price you’re willing to sell for; this will give you buffer so that when you get lower offers, you are not losing out.
Viewings
If you’re able to have viewings on your property, it is a good idea to spruce up your home and make sure that it is left looking its best. If you have any rooms that are painted bright colours or have characters on the walls for children, then it would be beneficial to give those rooms a fresh coat of paint in a neutral colour; if there are any scuffs or marks on the walls in other rooms, consider giving those a paint as well. Light and neutral colours are a favourite when selling your home as they’re known to attract potential buyers. Copious amounts of natural light is advantageous when selling a property, so make sure to clean the windows and clear out any clutter to give your home as much light as possible. Finally, if you have smaller rooms but want them to look larger, invest in some mirrors to hang on the walls as this gives an illusion of space as buyers tour the property.
Solicitor
An expensive but vital part of selling your home is getting a solicitor. You will need a solicitor to handle the legal side of selling your home, such as registering the buyer as the new owners. Solicitors are a great source of information throughout the process as their experience with selling and buying property is invaluable. This can take away a lot of the pressure and stress you may have during your first time selling your home.
Offers
It’s easy to get over-excited when you get an offer for the first time, but it’s crucial to be patient as offers can fall through. If you’re selling through an estate agent, work with them and your solicitor to solidify the deal before getting excited. Going from receiving an offer to the exchange is a long process, and you need to be sure that the offer is genuine or that the buyer won’t have a change in circumstances before you get the ball rolling on moving into a new property yourself.
Exchange & Completion
Once everyone is happy, it is time for the final contracts to be signed and exchanged. If anyone pulls out, they will lose their deposit, so it’s time for the excitement as you’re ready to agree on a completion date.
