Ascending the property ladder has long been a key part of life in the UK. According to 2020 government statistics, 63% of all households in this country are owner-occupied, putting the total number of owners in the tens of millions.
Unfortunately, getting onto the ladder isn’t where the stress starts and finishes. Whenever you buy or sell a house, the complications can range from the small to the huge.
Don’t estate agents make it easier?
The purpose of estate agents is to facilitate property deals and make it much easier for both the seller and the buyer. But the system appears to be broken.
Poll figures from December 2019 state that only 30% of people trust estate agents, meaning that more than two thirds of us are dissatisfied with the levels of service that we’re currently receiving, as a nation, from our estate agents.
Can you sell your home by yourself?
Yes, you can.
Listing through an estate agent is something that most of us take as a given – as something that you just have to do if you want to sell your house. But you don’t.
3 ways to make the selling process easier for yourself
1. Take great photos of your property. Listings that have limited or poor photos never do well. If you want to sell your house, you’ll need to get plenty of viewings booked in. For this to happen, you’ll need at least a dozen naturally-lit photographs showing your home in all its glory – ‘home’ being the key word, because you want buyers to envisage it as their home. Smartphone cameras are good, but for best results, use a proper digital camera (preferably on a pleasant day) – and, if possible, get someone who’s proficient at photography to help you out, even if it’s just a friend who takes snaps as a hobby. An inviting gallery is a must-have for any online property listing.
2. Get second and third opinions on everything. Whether it’s getting an initial property valuation, or advice on home decor for selling purposes, make sure you consult numerous people rather than just one. For example, if you speak to just one estate agent who slightly over-values your property, you might not get the volumes of viewings and offers that you’d like. As another example, many buyers know that they should try to look past your existing decor and see the blank canvas beneath, but for many, that’s easier said than done – what you don’t want to do is repel them at the outset with the prospect of a total decor makeover.
3. Go where the motivated buyers are. The UK property market is awash with time-wasters. For proof of that, you only need to look at the changes brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic: many estate agents will now only book a viewing for a prospective buyer if said buyer has their property listed for sale or already sold. In other words, they’ve put a stop to casual viewers who aren’t demonstrably ready or able to buy. As the seller, you obviously want to avoid these empty viewings, because they’ll only get your hopes up. Instead, you need to put your home in front of genuinely interested buyers.
Websites like Rezee can have your property listed online within hours, plugging into portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla to give it maximum exposure online. Their process is focused on you – the seller – cutting out all the frustration and bureaucracy of listing through a traditional estate agent, and working to agreed timeframes to make sure you can make your next move when you need to.
Whichever platform you choose, be sure to identify those that are focused on putting your home in front of the right people, and not just anyone.