Good manners cost nothing. We’ve all heard that said many times before, right? Well, when it comes to a property sale, it is something that sellers should also bear in mind.
A recent survey by property guide SellingUp.com has outlined the main grievances that would deter prospective buyers from following through with a house purchase.
Some 42% would pull out of a deal if they were faced with a rude or stroppy seller, while nearly one in three (28%) would seek to punish the seller by putting in a lower offer.
For 35% of people, an annoying or unpleasant estate agent would be enough for them to scrap a deal completely, while 19% would opt to make a lower offer.
More damaging than this, though, is the scourge of noisy or disruptive neighbours. 70% said they would withdraw from a deal because of this.
Poor home security (77%) and a poor energy rating (75%) were two more major reasons for deals going astray, while 53% cited bad mobile phone coverage as something that would make them think twice about a property.
What’s more, 44% of potential buyers would be put off by evidence of pests and 41% said plane noise would be a possible final nail in the coffin of a deal.
Almost half (42%) said an untidy garden could see them withdraw their offer completely, or at the very least lower it considerably, while a quarter of people would think twice if the home they were looking to buy was on a street with an embarrassing name.
Obviously, there are a few things here that are external factors out of a seller’s control. Plane noise, rubbish mobile phone signal and an embarrassing street name aren’t really things you can change – although, we should say, Brighton and Hove has very good phone signal and little aeroplane noise, so this shouldn’t be a problem for sellers in this region! Noisy neighbours are also something that can’t really be remedied by a seller.
There are, though, steps you can take to give yourself the best possible chance of selling. Messy gardens, for example, are something that can be fixed with a little bit of time and effort. It won’t even have to cost you anything if you take the DIY approach. You could also employ the services of a professional gardener to really make your garden stand out from the crowd.
Pests, too, can be got rid of by hiring out a pest controller to resolve any issues within your property, while an expert can be called out to double check your home's security. As we can see from the above, poor home security is a real issue for would-be buyers, so in this case it’s better to be safe than sorry. These things might cost you money in the short-term, but if you get the money back in the form of a higher offer then it will have been fully worth it.
You can also control how you come across. Rude sellers clearly won’t be appreciated, so it’s important to remain polite, friendly and patient throughout. We know a property sale can be an infuriating and drawn-out process at times, but taking out any anger or frustration you have on the people you want to buy your home isn’t really the brightest move.
This is where hiring the right agent comes into play. At Mishon Mackay, we’ll do all we can to get your home sold, taking away any stress and hassle and dealing with all aspects of the property sale in a professional and timely manner.
If you would like more information about buying and selling property in Brighton, Hove and the surroundings areas, please get in touch with Marc Cox on: 01273 416732.
We also have our own instant online valuation tool to give you an accurate estimate of what your property is worth in the current marketplace.
