19 October 2019

Want To Sell By Christmas?

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If you are thinking of making a move and want to sell by Christmas, there is still time, but you had best be quick!

 

Research suggests that in order to agree a sale this side of Christmas, you should have your house up and on the market no later than 21st of September, stating that houses listed in October take an average of 61 days to sell (research from estateagent4me)

 

So if you are thinking of waiting until after Brexit (or no Brexit) to make your move, then it might be best to have a rethink!

 

Of course with the right agent and the right marketing, you could find a buyer a lot quicker than the 61 days stated in the research, and there are some things you can do to help get that all important sale agreed before the festive period really kicks in. We have a few tips for you below.

Choose a proactive agent.

 

The best way to maximise the chances of finding a buyer for your home at any time, and even more so during the build up to the festive period, is to make sure you choose an agent that is proactive in marketing your property. This means making sure they take the best pictures, write compelling and attractive details which really highlight the best features of your home, create compelling online listings utilising the best marketing techniques that the property portals have to offer, have an active mailing list of local and national buyers which they actually contact via email, telephone calls and mailing lists, have a local presence and a history of selling properties similar to your own, have a team of property professionals that are on hand to deal with prospective purchasers and are able to go out of their way to fit that extra viewing in to make sure no prospective purchasers are missed. It’s also advisable to find an agent that utilises other marketing tools such as social media posts to maximise your property’s exposure.

 

Make sure the price is right when you first come to market.

 

When time is a factor, it’s best to make absolutely sure that your property is priced correctly from day 1. There is nothing worse than marketing your property and wasting weeks of precious time sitting on the market with no interest. It can be difficult to accurately assess the price at which to market your home, so make sure you check comparable evidence of similar properties that have been sold in your area. Whichever agent you choose to market your home should be able to provide you with historical evidence of similar properties that have sold in nearby and explain why they have reached a particular marketing figure for your home. You can always check out what is on the market in your local area on the major property portals or by having a look at the Hannells website. You can also get an online valuation for free, just by clicking here.

 

Get your home ready for sale.

 

As the winter period kicks in and with the dreaded Brexit uncertainty lingering around, you can be sure that only the best homes will sell quickly. Make sure yours is top notch and really stands out from the crowd. Check the property from top to bottom with a critical eye and tidy up any areas that you think might be letting you down. You can be sure that if you notice something, any prospective purchasers will too! One area that often gets neglected at this time of year is the outside of our homes, and given the amount of rain we have had recently it’s easy to see why, but kerb appeal isn’t just something that’s banded about on television property programmes, it really can have an impact on viewers, so have a tidy up of the garden and any other outside space, our previous blog posts ‘How To Sell Your Home Over The Winter Months’ and ‘Is Your House Ready For Christmas Viewings?‘ can give you some tips on presenting your property in the build up to Christmas and Housebeautiful.com have a great article which can give you some more tips about kerb appeal, check it out here.

Whilst no agent can guarantee you will be sold by Christmas, with a bit of preparation, some research and a sound understanding of the market, you can increase your chances!

Although we have only looked a few tips to help get you moved, our team of award winning property professionals are always on hand to help, just contact your local Hannells branch, or visit us online at Hannells.co.uk.