Discussion Title: Selling for the first time? Here are our top tips

Your home is likely to be your single, biggest financial asset and one which you’re emotionally attached to. It can seem like a daunting process, but if you feel it’s finally time to cut those ties and sell your first home, we’re here to help. It may sound ridiculous, but if you want to have your home sold by Christmas and be settled in a new abode by then, it’s time to get the wheels in motion. However, before you even place your property on the market you must think, is my property ready to be inspected by prospective buyers? As a seller, you ultimately want to obtain the highest price, and that can only be achieved if your property is in the best nick. The best way to boost the asking price of your property is to ensure that it is excellently presented. Imagine your property through a new buyer’s eye; they will want to see a property that is completely free of clutter, a place where space has been maximised and has a minimalist décor. This means fewer family pictures or discarded toys and certainly no excessive furnishings. The buyers you are hoping to attract will most likely have hectic lives themselves and may not want to have to deal with any major home improvement work, so a bit of redecorating is a must. Unfortunately, due to the financial outlay and nature of buying a new home, potential purchasers will also be looking out for every little thing that could be wrong with the property, so ensure that all of those niggling jobs which you have been putting off are completed before the all important viewing. Jobs which can be easily forgotten are the re-grouting of tiles, checking the guttering, replacing light bulbs, oiling creaky hinges. If all these little things are done, it gives the impression of a well-maintained property. It’s also vital that you choose the correct agent to sell your property. Here at House Tree, we offer something a little different. We’re a unique combination of a traditional estate agent with all of the associated benefits, while also being an online estate agent, saving you money when you sell. When choosing an agent to sell your home for the first time, it’s also essential that they have a strong online presence, including advertising on the main portals Rightmove and Zoopla. This is particularly important if you’re looking to attract first-time buyers to your property, likely to be in their twenties and thirties who are increasingly organising their lives via online means such as smartphones, tablets and PC’s. Just being listed on your agent’s website is no longer enough anymore. Yes, it’s important that your property looks the part, but you mustn’t forget the legalities when selling your property for the first time. By law, as a seller you must ensure that your property has a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which will give the seller an idea of how expensive a property would be to run in terms of gas and electricity bills, and is valid for ten years. You can usually obtain one through your agent, and at House Tree it comes free when you choose to sell with us. So your property is ready, you have all of the necessary legalities in place, now it’s time for all of the viewings to begin. Flexibility is key in viewings, as in this day-and-age most of us are extremely busy people. So to fit in viewings, you may have to adjust to the potential buyer’s time scales, as it’s likely they’ll have full-time jobs and possibly children. Remember, first impressions couldn’t count more in the property sphere, and it’s the little things that will be noticed. Make sure that if you have a front garden, that the grass is cut, your home is sweet-smelling, and that the front of the home looks as inviting as possible. All of these should add the finishing touches that your property desires, and lead to a successful first time sale. If you’re looking to sell your property and would like further information about the cost-effective packages that we offer, don’t hesitate to get in touch on: 0207 060 4674. If you are after a quick and easy valuation of your property, check out our handy valuation tool. https://www.housetree.co.uk/blog/2015/08/28/selling-for-the-first-time-here-are-our-top-tips/