Selling Your Property: Is It Ready to Go to Market?

In the first few months of the year, as we move towards spring, it is common for people to start thinking about the future – and this may include trying to sell your property. But is your place really ready to hit the market?

Whether you are moving areas, selling off a second property or just looking to upgrade to somewhere new, you need to do your homework before trying to get a sale. Once people get the idea to sell, they often want to move quickly – but it can become a much lengthier process if the property is not in tip-top condition.

One of the easiest ways to increase the chances of gaining a sale – and at the best possible price – is to undertake some maintenance work before marketing the property. Shabby décor or damaged fixtures and fittings can really put people off a place, even if the jobs that need doing don’t seem major to you. And there may be other, bigger tasks that could be undertaken to raise your property value significantly, like renovating kitchens and bathrooms.

It’s a good idea to contact an estate agent to give you an idea of current market value and saleability before you have any work done. In fact, at Julie Twist Properties, we will offer to give you advice as part of your valuation to help ensure that once your property does come to market, it will be as attractive as it can be to potential buyers.

And it’s not just the cosmetic things that you need to give attention to. Once you secure a buyer, a survey will take place and any hidden problems will come to light. This can often be a stage of renegotiation if the buyer is not happy with something in the survey report. Of course, you’re not obliged to pay to correct the issues at this stage, but you may lose your buyer if you don’t.

Luckily, you can pre-empt this situation to an extent by ensuring that aspects like your heating system and built-in appliances are serviced in advance so that they are ready for a change of ownership. This can lead to a smoother and quicker sales transaction, as well as a better final sold price. Letting your agent have a proper look around the property should also help uncover any other maintenance issues that ought to be rectified before marketing begins.

When it comes to pre-sale property maintenance, it may be a case of some investment on your part, but it’s often worth it – you are likely to save both time and money in the long run.

At Julie Twist Properties, our in-house maintenance team can handle all of your pre-sale needs, including boiler servicing, PAT testing, gas checks, decorating and odd jobs, and even gardening. Please see our maintenance page for more details.