+ Lighting
Light is essential. If it doesn't exist,
look for ways to create it. Add a lamp
use curtain hooks to keep curtains back
from windows, cut foliage away from
windows or perhaps even fit a skylight.
Buyers love light so give them as much
as you can.
+ Keep it uncluttered and practical
The potential buyer will want to see
the space they will have to utilise
so keep surfaces shelves and worktops
as clear as possible. Buyers also love
big rooms so keep open spaces hallways
and doorways uncluttered don't be afraid
to remove excess furniture to achieve
this.
+ Odours and audio
Smells and sounds can add a lot to the
character of a house. The classic combination
is the smell of fresh coffee grounds
and some relaxing classical music such
as Vivaldis Flute concerto, but feel
free to experiment with whatever suits
your home best. Keep the property well
ventilated so that stale smells from
tobacco, food etc don't linger.
+ Appearence
There is no second chance at a first
impression, the feeling that the buyer
has either positive or negative will
influence their buying decisions. Make
sure that your house looks its best
as you approach it from the road. Are
there any jobs inside or out that could
improve the appearance of your property?
Graffiti to be removed? Rubbish around
the property?
+ Sell before you buy
Selling when you want to sell rather
than when you have to sell is by far
the best approach. There will be less
pressure and you can consider offers
calmly and carefully. Also selling before
you buy means you know exactly how much
you have to spend- no sleepless nights
wondering where you're going to get
the bridging finance from your next
house.
+ Value perception
There is no recommended retail price
on your home, but most buyers shop on
price. Rather than trying to guess what
would be the best price to start selling
your property for, choose a base price
or price range this allows more people
to consider your property than an artificially
high starting price would be.
+ Don’t multilist your property
It may seem like a good idea to get
two different agents to try and sell
your property but you may not end up
getting the best price for your property.
Would you work as hard if you knew another
agent might get in there before you,
leaving you with no fee for your hard
work? It is much better to get one agent
to do a proper job and they will deliver
a much better service for your fee.
+ Questions for your Estate Agents
It's your fee negotiable? If you can
negotiate their fee down, think what
a potential buyer might be able to achieve
with the price of your property! Rather
than going for the cheapest agent go
for the one that can add most to your
property value.
Question 2 for your Estate Agents
How will they achieve a higher price
for your property than their competitors?
If they can sell you their services
and you feel confident that they can
deliver the results you are after, then
they can probably do the same to potential
buyers.
Question 3 for your Estate Agents
If you can't sell my property what will
it cost me? You need to clarify that
if they haven't sold your property within
a certain amount of time or if you are
not happy with their services that you
can withdraw your house without incurring
any costs. If you end up paying their
fees whether your property is sold or
not there is no incentive for the agents.
+ Hazards of selling
A buyer will usually ask how long a
property has been on the market. If
it has been on for a long time then
the buyer is automatically in a stronger
position. They will either assume that
you are going to be more frustrated
about not having sold it yet and offer
a drastically reduced price or they
will think that there is something wrong
with the property and back out.
If a property is on the market for a
long time then it costs more to sell
it
More advertising is required and the
agent has to put more work in. If the
property doesn't sell for a considerable
time then the agent may relegate it
to the "too hard basket".
It becomes unattractive to sell for
less because of the higher incurred
costs, but if the price isn't lowered
then the property may never sell.
+ Advertising methods
There are several methods of advertising
that are absolutely essential. If your
estate agent doesn't do all or most
of there then ask them why not. If they
don't have a good answer then try looking
elsewhere.
The Sign Outside your property
to let the potential buyers know where
your property is - This can
help passers by as well as help people
find it for arranged viewings.
The local daily paper
- Most areas have a property section
in their local paper (in Derby it's
the Derby Telegraph on Thursday). This
is one of the most widely referred to
guides on what is available in the area.
The shop window - A
good looking and packed agents window
is absolutely essential to get the attention
of casual enquirers. It also shows that
the business is busy and thriving.
The internet - There
are a great number of Internet real
estate websites out there If the estate
agent doesn't have their properties
on their own website they should be
using an external one. The advantages
of a website are that you can easily
attract buyers for other areas and it
allows people who don't have much spare
time to see your property. It also only
needs publishing once, usually for a
one off fee, and cant be lost or thrown
out with the rubbish.
+ Why you should leave selling to the
experts
Buyers may feel uncomfortable raising
objections with the owner. These objections
may be buying signs and an experienced
salesman will be able to use these to
their advantage; the owner may take
them personally and alienate the buyer.
It is usually good practice for the
owner to be absent during viewings as
well, for the same reason. The buyer
may speak more freely and feel more
comfortable if alone with the agent.
Most owners have great difficulty 'closing'
the sale of their home. They tend to
cling to the hope that the buyer who
seemed interested will buy only to find
out later they can't or won't. In the
meantime many possible buyers have been
missed.
+ Golden rule of advertising
Get involved. You know more about your
house than the estate agent and you
know the features and benefits better
than anyone else. Why did you buy the
property in the first place? What first
attracted you to it? The features that
appealed to you will probably also appeal
to potential buyers. If your agent gets
cranky when you start to give them advice
then you've probably got the wrong agent.
Make it easy for the buyers to get in
contact. Ensure that the contact numbers
given with an advertisement are working
and that there is someone there to answer
the calls when the advert is published.
It is usually advisable to supply an
office number and the mobile number
of the agent as well as a back-up contacts
details. |
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Allestree Branch
1 Allestree Lane
Allestree
Derby
DE22 2HQ
Tel : 01332 556633
Fax : 01332 556648
Alvaston Branch
1278 London Road
Alvaston
Derby
DE24 8QP
Tel : 01332 753555
Fax : 01332 784512
Ashby Branch
34a Market Street
Ashby de la Zouch
Leicestershire
LE65 1AN
Tel : 01530 564491
Fax : 01530 564492
Belper Branch
12 Bridge Street
Belper
Derbyshire
DE56 1AX
Tel : 01773 882881
Fax : 01773 829913
Burton on Trent Branch
5-6 The Market Place
Burton on Trent
Staffordshire
DE14 1HA
Tel : 01283 845888
Fax : 01283 845745
Chaddesden Branch
488 Nottingham Road
Chaddesden
Derby
DE21 6PF
Tel : 01332 281400
Fax : 01332 677045
Chellaston Branch
55-57 High Street
Chellaston
Derby
DE73 6TB
Tel : 01332 705505
Fax : 01332 691009
Coalville Branch
53-55 Belvoir Road
Coalville
Leicestershire
LE67 3PD
Tel : 01530 812929
Fax : 01530 812887
Hilton Branch
44 Main Street
Hilton
Derby
DE65 5GG
Tel : 01283 730077
Fax : 01283 730088
Littleover Branch
272 Blagreaves Lane
Littleover
Derby
DE23 1PS
Tel : 01332 773399
Fax : 01332 771131
Mickleover Branch
9 The Square
Mickleover
Derby
DE3 0DD
Tel : 01332 540522
Fax : 01332 519945
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