Five key steps to selling your first home

Different buyers want different things from a property. Some want to move in straightaway without picking up a paint brush, while others want a property they can renovate, especially if they plan to live there for many years. Some will be buying their first home and some trading down to a home which is easier to manage.

We work closely with buyers to understand their needs, so we know who will be looking to purchase your home. We’ll also be able to tell you whether you can sell the property as is, or if you could maximise the price by making a few changes.

For all sellers, it’s always a good thing to ensure your property is clean and tidy, and a good tip is to make sure that each room represents its likely use: a bedroom needs a bed and wardrobe, for example, and a dining room needs a table and chairs

Choosing the right agent to sell your home is critical in making your move as stress-free as possible. If it’s your first home sale, working with an agent who will help you plan your move, especially if you are buying another home, is essential. All of our agents live and work in the area in which your home is going to be sold, and know it well. This really is vital in bringing the right buyers, whether they know the area or not, to view your home.

Marketing your property is an important part of the process too. We will, of course, list your home on the main portals, but it’s more than that: it’s about knowing which photos to take to show off your home to best advantage,  and making sure the descriptions people read will maximise the number of people we convert to viewings. We also know what other local marketing techniques work to make sure we reach every potential buyer we can on your behalf.

Currently anyone can set up an agency. However, our representatives are qualified, and are members of NAEA, and we also belong to The Property Ombudsman. In the unlikely event that you are unhappy with us for any reason, you can make a complaint free of charge.

A large part of choosing the right agent consists of finding one that has sold homes similar to yours before. This means they will know how much buyers are willing and able to pay for your home – and have an instant list of people wishing to view. You will want to maximise the price you sell your home for, and we can do that if we price the property right from the start since this enables us to deliver enough interested potential buyers. Ideally we like to have two or more buyers who are keen to buy your home, since this helps to maximise the price paid.

Pricing a home isn’t easy though! It’s about knowing the local and national market, understanding how location, local amenities, school catchments, floor space, light, number and type of rooms available, outdoor space and the property’s condition can all affect the value.

Our agents are experts in understanding why some properties sell for more and some for less. They know pricing a property correctly from the start means more viewings. More viewings mean the likelihood of more offers, which is one of the reasons we sell our clients’ homes for 99.41% of the advertised property price.

Some agents just focus on advertising a property, let you arrange the viewings, and once you have an offer, feel their job is done. We believe that an expert local agent should carry out your viewings, as we do, especially during the Covid-19 phase.

We then follow up with each buyer to find out their thoughts and help to progress viewings to offers.

Once offers have been agreed, we work tirelessly to ensure the sale and if required, your own purchase is progressed. This involves checking everyone’s finances are in place, working closely with legal companies to ensure they are ordering searches, finding guarantees and warranties, preparing contracts, and answering any buyer questions that crop up. It’s essential we do this on your behalf because otherwise issues relating to any of these aspects can lead to lengthy hold-ups in selling your home.

Getting to exchange and completion – the moment when you can pick up the keys and move into your new home – is, from our perspective, as important to selling your first home as it is to secure an offer.  We understand this and your expert agent will be by your side, every step of the way, to make sure this happens. This explains why 91.57% of our sales are sold to the original buyers.