Selling your home in Scotland: latest advice on getting market ready, for a quick sale and maximum profit
You’ve decided it’s time to move and you’re gearing up to get your home on the market, but for many people taking the first steps can be the hardest part. What do you need to do first?
What actions are most important to get ready for selling success? As experts in the Edinburgh property market, the team at Gibson Kerr is here to help guide you. This article will briefly give our top tips on getting your home market ready.
First impressions count
The first thing you should think about is getting your home ready for a valuation. While estate agents will always look beyond the cosmetic and see the true market value of your home, now is a good time to get some of those outstanding jobs done. For example, if you’ve been thinking of replacing windows, painting the external walls or tidying the garden, it could improve the valuation and mean you’re a step closer to getting a sale.
Get it valued
You will need to get a valuation of your home in order to put it on the market. So you know how much it’s worth. This is going to make a difference in planning how much you can afford to offer for a new home, so it’s vital that you work with a solicitor and estate agent who understands the property market in your local area.
Your appointed agent will let you know how much your home is worth and will also be there to guide you through the process of selling your home. Shop around and take recommendations from friends, find out what the cost will be and make your decision based on who you feel most comfortable with.
Get your information to hand
You will be required to have a Home Report prepared prior to going on the market. This will be made available to prospective buyers and will include all the information they need to know before deciding on making an offer. At this stage, you may be asked to provide certificates or guarantees from any work you have had carried out on the property, so it’s a good idea to have these to hand.
During the sales and purchase process, you will be asked to provide proof of identity, so it’s a good idea to look the documents out.
Think like a buyer
When it’s time for viewings, it goes without saying that you want to show your home in its best light. Many people visualise themselves living in a property when they view it, so you should try to create a clean canvas for viewers.
It’s not necessary to repaint or change your soft furnishings – in our experience, people see beyond this and know they would probably want to change these things anyway. But move or store furniture to make the most of the space and highlight your property's best features. Do declutter as much as possible, but don’t make your home look clinical, buyers are looking for a home, so paint that picture for them.
Get ready for viewings
Many of our clients find viewings the most stressful part of selling a home. You can decide to have open viewings, where anyone can drop in at certain times of the week, or you can have them on demand, so prospective buyers can make an appointment to view individually. At Gibson Kerr, we offer the option for one of our representatives to handle the viewings, so you don’t have to be there. It is all very much up to personal preferences.
Whatever your decision, make sure your home is clean and bright for viewings, there’s no need to bake bread beforehand, but do let in some fresh air and turn on lights to make sure people see the property’s best side.
The expert Gibson Kerr Property Team in Edinburgh is happy to chat to homeowners to outline the sales process from listing your property, dealing with offers and the conveyancing work through to completion. We can also give you full advice on purchasing a property. For further information, contact us on 0131 226 9167 or [email protected].