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Remax Ayrshire - Remax Kilwinning advertise all our properties FOR SALE on right move:

Remax Ayrshire - Remax Kilwinning advertise all our properties TO LET on right move:

RE/MAX Kilwinning's Selling Tips

1. Target Market and Timing

When is the best time to go on the Market?

The two main keys to selling your home are Timing and Motivation.

You do not know when the buyer of your property will accept an offer on their own property, or a first time buyer will just have saved up their deposit. If you wait until the spring, many other properties similar to yours may also come on the housing market. Put your house for sale as soon as your house is ready for the viewers!

No motivation, no house sale!

Non motivated sellers and buyers slow up the housing market and give the impression that no houses are selling. People who want to move have to be realistic and so should chose an agent who is equally so.

Target the buyers

The first step to selling your property quickly and painlessly is to consider your target market. Who do you think might buy your property? Then try to tailor your space to appeal to the main group without alienating other groups that might also be interested. So if you feel a professional couple would be ideal, then turn the 2nd bed/office back into a bedroom and make a space for a workstation elsewhere in the house. This will ensure that the house would still appeal to a young couple with a small child.

2. De-Clutter and De-Personalise

Potential buyers need to imagine themselves living in your house, so get rid of ornaments and photos - especially posters in kids' bedrooms. Put things you don't really use on a daily basis in the attic or storage. Large pieces of furniture should also go into storage; this will make rooms feel much bigger. Focus on the hallway - clear away coats/clutter; the bathroom - hide all your products; and the kitchen - clear the bench surfaces of appliances, jars, tins, etc, and replace any ragged tea towels or smelly bins.

3. Freshen Up

A fresh coat of neutral paint, new tiling or lino, and a couple of new kitchen doors can do wonders to smarten up a tired-looking property. If you can't stretch to re-tiling in the bathroom, re-grouting should bring it up new. The same effect can be achieved by installing matching chrome fittings; replacing broken light bulbs; re-painting the front door; ironing sheets in the bedroom; taking down any heavy dark drapes; installing up-lighters in the living room for subtle lighting; and strategically placing flowers throughout.

4. Clean Up

If you'd rather not re-decorate, it is still essential that the house be spotless. Getting industrial cleaners in to really make the place sparkle will be money well-spent.

5. Instructing an Estate Agent & Solicitor

“People tend to go for the Estate Agent that offers their service at the lowest cost OR who ever value their property at the highest amount, so the best agent is not always the one chosen. Agents that charge the least amount often do so because they offer a service to match. Some agents recommend a high price for your property to encourage you to take their business, sometimes knowing that they will have to persuade you at some stage to reduce your price. Your aim should be to choose an estate agent who you can relate to and who also offers you the best service.”

From The Property Book
By Ann Maurice TV’s House Doctor

6. Costs

At ReMax Kilwinning, we always provide a breakdown of the costs involved in selling your house, our own, the surveyor and solicitors fees as well.

7. Valuation & Selling Prices

Valuing property is not an exact science, but you should choose an agent who can show you how they came up with the valuation and displays good knowledge of the local market. At ReMax Kilwinning, we never knowingly overprice a property as each house is priced to sell!

8. Get the Word Out

Always have a board up, and tell your neighbours - word of mouth is a powerful tool. You never know who might live just round the corner, waiting for your house to come to the market. At ReMax Kilwinning, we use local marketing to ensure this happens.

9. Preparing for Viewings

Everyone knows that first impressions count, and you'll want the house to appeal to as many people as possible; the more people there are who like the property, the higher the selling price should be. So sweep up, and make sure the front yard and hall to your house are tidy and inviting. Leave the pets with a neighbour, and thoroughly clean up any cat hair in particular, as many people are allergic to animal hair. Turn the lights and heating on; air out the house; and don't smoke or cook a curry before viewings. If you've got parking, leave the space free for the buyer - this will add to the whole experience.

10. Showing a Property

You'll probably be paying an agent to do this; they know their job, so I always recommend that property owners go out during viewings. If your agent doesn’t do your viewings, then who is selling the house?
If they are just advertising it, why are they charging an Estate Agency fee?
ReMax Kilwinning is committed to 100% accompanied viewings.

11. Choosing the Best Buyer

The person who offers the highest price is not always the best choice. Listen to your agent's advice on buyers, and push your agent to find out as much about the buyers' circumstances as possible.

12. Accepting Offers

Your agent will be the middleman and should present every offer that is made. Insist that the agent has all the background information to hand on the buyer's position, and the ability to move quickly and ask that offers be made in writing. Market conditions, competition and how much the buyer loves the property will determine what the buyer is prepared to offer. Similarly, the price you will be prepared to accept will depend on market conditions; how quickly you need to sell; and the size of your moving budget. Compromise on both sides is often the key to securing a deal. Also, know whether you want to keep all your furniture, curtains and white goods, as many of these items may not suit your next home, and can be used as effective bargaining tools to get the price you want.

13. Holding the Deal Together

This is where the hard work starts, and the longer it takes to reach exchange of contracts, the higher the chances of the deal falling through. A good agent will stay in touch with all parties, buyers, sellers and both sets of solicitors to ensure that the sale goes through. You need to be kept informed of where the conveyancing is at, and how your buyer is feeling about the progress of the transaction – In Scotland each sale can take 4-6 weeks to go through to entry date.

Most of my competitors in Ayrshire estate agents merely list your house and send viewers for you to show round your house. So I ask you- who is selling your home?
At Remax Ayrshire, we make sure that the above criteria, or as many as possible are in place in order to sell your house as quickly as possible.