Selling Faster and for More Money

17 April 2017

The best time to sell a property is within the first 2 weeks of marketing. It has been proved that the faster you sell, the more likely you’ll be to get a better price too.

There are a number of low cost things you can do to give your property the edge over others on the market in the area and sell that bit quicker. Here is our pick of the best ideas.

1. Get some space. Nobody likes clutter so take an objective look around your home and get rid of anything you don’t use regularly. You don’t have to throw it away, maybe a friend could store it for you, or you can get it up in the loft. At a push find out prices of self storage units near you – the cost might be small in comparison to the extra you’ll get for the property. Just don’t make it too sterile, nobody wants to live in a budget hotel lookalike forever so leave some personality items around the place.

2. Kerb your enthusiasm. Most buyers make a decision to view and buy after seeing the outside of the property from the kerbside, either on agent’s details or when beating the streets looking for boards. Make sure the house looks its best. Hide bins if you can, does the door need a paint? Sweep up leaves or rubbish. Make sure your number is clear to see to help people find it.

3. Gym, office or bedroom? Most people adapt a property to suit their needs but if you have a bedroom unused apart from a dusty and little used exercise bike and some sundry junk (we all do!) put it back to how it should be. Don’t expect buyer’s to use much imagination when they view and you can’t go far wrong.

4. Be cool or get some heat. Depending on the season make sure the house is a comfortable temperature. In winter, get plenty of lights on and create a cosy feel. In summer, go for light and airy.

5. Get Your House in Order. A buyer will likely be put off by outstanding repairs like a leaky roof or blocked drain. Or they’ll reduce the price. Either way you end up paying for it so you might as well get the work done yourself.

Getting your house in order for a quick sale can be time consuming (and sometimes costly). Using a professional property buyer, such as one of our members, is an alternative way to getting a quick sale. You can view all our members here.

Jonathan Rolande

Jonathan Rolande (MNAEA MICBA MARLA) began in the property business in the late 1980’s and is a Director of House Buy Fast and helped to found The National Association of Property Buyers in 2013. He has worked closely with The Property Ombudsman to develop a Code of Practice for Residential Property Buying Companies.