5 Things To Do Before You List Your Property For Sale*

*This is a collaborative post*

Selling your home can be both an exciting and stressful time.

The anticipation of moving to a new property is often offset by worrying about the process of actually finding a buyer and completing all the legal paperwork.

However, with a little forward planning you can better prepare yourself for the act of moving home and reduce the stress and worry that comes with it.

Here are 5 things you can do before you put your property on the market to ensure it goes without a hitch.

1) Cut back on your expenditure

Before you call in that mortgage advisor, it can really help if you’re able to cut out any non-essential expenditure. Do you really need that premium Netflix subscription or that weekly takeaway? Cutting back on such expenditure can improve your chances of getting a mortgage while also making it easier to save money for your move.

Remember, you don’t have to cut back your expenditure permanently, just a few months until your month is completed and then you can spend your money however you want.

2) Get around to doing those odd jobs

That dripping tap, those marks on the wall, the door that creaks and stick, we all put off little jobs and never seem to get around to fixing them.

While you may be able to put up with them, or may even not notice them anymore, prospective buyers will see them as signals that your property hasn’t had your full care and attention. That can make them nervous about what other issues there may be.

Don’t put off the jobs any longer, go around your home and fix everything that not quite as it should be. If necessary, bring in someone able to do handyman jobs in Mooresville, or wherever you are to help.

3) Declutter your belongings

This is one of those things that’s often overlooked but is incredibly important. The more ‘things’ you have lying around your home, the more difficult it will be for prospective buyers to visualize themselves moving in. And that means it will be harder for you to find a buyer.

Start decluttering now and get your rooms ready for the photos that will go on your property listing. Keep in mind that decluttering doesn’t just mean throwing everything away. If there are non-essential things you would like to keep you can always pack them securely in a box and place them out of sight in the loft or at a storage facility.

The advantage of this is that when you finally accept an offer and need to start packing, you’ve already made a start!

4) Get your paperwork in order

The legal process is often where agreed sales fall apart. Therefore, once you accept an offer you’ll want to reach the exchange of contracts as quickly as possible.

You can help to achieve this by getting all your paperwork in order now. Dig out the receipts of any work you’ve had done to the property, any certificates you have been issued for electrical or gas work, the proof you’ve had your boiler serviced regularly, and so on.

Then, when you appoint your solicitor you have everything ready to give them and get things moving almost straight away.

5) Choose the right estate agent

Finally, once you’re ready to take the big step of putting your property on the market, you’ll need to ensure you choose the right estate agent.

The first choice you’ll need to make is whether you want to use a traditional high street agent or an online one. If you go the high street route you’ll pay more for the service but will benefit from more face-to-face contact and local expertise.

If you choose an online agent you’ll save a fair amount of money and will gain more control over your property listings and which viewings you conduct yourself.

Which one you choose is entirely up to you, just keep in mind that online agents are still a relatively new concept so it pays to check some online estate agent reviews before you make a decision.


*Contributed by Paul. Photo via Pexels.

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