Top Tips on Selling Your Home
Are you thinking of selling your home this year? At Acorn we have seen a seasonal trend of of house searches and enquiries increasing in January, so now could be a great time to put your home on the market.
If you buy a home with Acorn, at selected sites we offer an Assisted Move scheme which aims to take some of the stress away from selling your home and offers support throughout the process – any questions, queries or quandaries – we’re here to help and offer an experienced property professional’s point of view!
Here’s our step-by-step guide to using our Assisted Move scheme and general top tips included for anyone selling their home.
1. Choose your agent
Things to think about when choosing an agent – Look at the other sold properties in your area– who were the agents, what price were they marketed at, how long did they take to sell at that price and, if possible, look to see what the actual sold price was – this information is published on Rightmove and Zoopla ‘house price history’ sections. You need a realistic figure – because if it’s too high, it may take a long time to sell, if it’s too low then you could be missing out!
Find out what the agency fee is. But don’t necessarily go for the cheapest – if it’s a low fee but takes a long time to sell, this is a false economy.
Dealing with an estate agent who provides a great service, is responsive, proactive, and an expert in your local area, will make a huge difference to the whole experience, and will most likely get your house sold faster.
With Assisted Move, we will arrange for two local agents to value your property. Based on these valuations, we will agree on a marketing price with you and the chosen agent/s.
2. Finding a buyer
Get your home ready for photography and viewings by de-cluttering and tidying. Make rooms look light and airy by opening all curtains and blinds – well presented rooms are click bait for property searchers.
Kitchens and bathrooms are the most expensive for new buyers to update, so make sure that these are free of any mould, surfaces are as clear as possible, windows are clean and remove any reference to pets – your prospective buyer may have allergies or not be a pet lover.
If you buy with Acorn we will withdraw your chosen new home from the market for a period of 6 weeks and the Assisted Move scheme means that we will work closely with the agent/s to find a buyer for your old home. Progress will be monitored and reviewed at the end of the 6 week period and an extension may be granted if deemed appropriate
3. Get all your paperwork ready to go.
You can do this in advance to speed the sale up from your side, here is a list of typical paperwork you’ll need.
- HM Land Registry title documents
- Gas checks completed by a Gas Safe registered engineer (or Corgi-registered engineer prior to 2009)
- Electrical checks – an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) or a NAPIT or NICEIC certificate/report from a registered electrical competent person
- Energy Performance Certificate
- FENSA or CERTAS certificates for windows
- Planning permission for any major work carried out
- Building regulation completion certificates and builder’s guarantee certificates for alterations or additions
- Subsidence guarantees/warranties
- Damp guarantees/warranties
- Party wall agreements (if relevant)
- If a listed building, listed building consent for interior and exterior works
Once all the above is in progress, you can spend time getting excited about your new home!
For further information about our Assisted Move scheme – click here
