Selling your home can be a daunting process – even if you have done it before – no two markets are ever the same in our experience. Below we have put together some information to help you understand what’s important in the lead up to putting your property on the market.
Presentation of the property
If you watch any property or lifestyle show you will know that the presentation of a property plays a big part in what buyers think is a “good property”. With that said you don’t have to go to the extent of spending 100’s and 1,000’s of dollars but giving your property a bit of a “freshen up” will certainly help get more buyers coming through the doors.
- Touch up paint so the property looks fresh
- Make sure the lawns and gardens (if applicable) are tidy, free of weeds, plants trimmed, and lawns are mowed before inspections
- De-clutter rooms. Whilst you may have treasures and keep-sakes throughout your home make it feel nice, open, and inviting. You want to show buyers the property not your possessions. It also helps when it comes time to move as you have already started the job of packing.
- High pressure clean driveways, pathways and outdoor areas
- For inspections open your curtains / blinds and turn on lights to make the property seem nice and open with as much natural light as possible.
If you’re not sure what to do in the lead up to selling your home give us a call for a no obligation catch-up and we can do a walk through your home for you and give you some ideas.
You can't sell a secret
It might sound cliché, but the truth is marketing plays a vital part of selling your home. There are agents out there saying they sell “off market” but they technically are still marketing to their database at the least. To do that they need to have photos and information about your property and that doesn’t happen without a marketing plan.
You don’t have to invest a lot in marketing these days but it’s important to budget for at least an online advertisement on www.realestate.com.au. Research shows that more than 90% of buyers will look for property on this website so you want to make sure they see your property in their search!
We can provide you with a tailored marketing package to suit you and your property - just give us a call to discuss your options!
Choosing the right agency and agent
The team here at Edge have been around a while. Some 40-50 years of combined experience between Nick and the team. We believe that it really doesn’t matter who the “market leader” is in your area nor the agent who yells the loudest about how much money they are making.
For us, it’s about doing the right thing by you as the property owner and client. Our business was founded and grows based on referral and reputation – we don’t feel the need to scream about how good we are – our clients do it for us!
Whoever you ultimately choose, make sure you consider the following:
- Don’t just pick the cheapest agent out there. The agent who is willing to drop their commission is the agent who will be looking for the quickest (and sometimes not the best) sale for you. Edge Property charges what we are worth. We aren’t the cheapest, but we aren’t the dearest. We’ll run specials from time to time, but our philosophy is simple – we do the job well and we make sure that the transaction and relationship is about you – OUR CLIENT!
- Find someone you can trust – someone you can actually talk to and not someone who just talks about how good they are! A good agent isn’t someone who has the biggest sale records to boast about, they’re someone who can listen to you, understand what you need and want and above all else someone you can talk with and know that they are doing the right thing by you.
- Online marketing (emails, websites and direct marketing) plays a huge part of the enquiry process these days. It’s about how the agent works with these enquiries to ultimately get you an offer.
- Last and certainly not least – a good agent won’t offer their personal opinion – they will talk to you about the market. As agents we aren’t the ones putting the offer to you or the ones willing to buy the property. An agent who talks to you about what buyers are saying is the one you want to consider – they are removing their personal opinion and talking to you about the market. That’s the key. Having an agent who understands they are not the decision maker but are negotiators and communicators is the key to this all working and you knowing exactly where you stand.
When should you sell?
Most real estate agents will tell you to sell straight away so they can get it up and listed, more so for their commissions than what suits you as the property owner. The truth is there are definitely times of the year to steer clear of if you can help it, but a property will sell at any stage of the year – sometimes may just take a little longer to get buyers to put an offer in on (Christmas and Easter holidays for example where families are spending time together).
Our thoughts – sell when it suits you but ask your agent if they have any thoughts or suggestions that you can consider before going to the market. Things like if you have a pool or air conditioning the warmer months of the year highlight these features better than through winter. Likewise, a fireplace is more attractive when used in the middle of winter.
Typically, we have always seen the first quarter of any year being the busiest with more buyers coming through properties however recent times have shown us that anything is possible!
The legalities
From our perspective, whether you are a buyer or a seller, its important to engage professionals to help you through the sale process. Having a good solicitor and conveyancer doesn’t have to be a huge cost – but its important to get one you trust and one that you can communicate with easily. Check out our community page for some contacts.
Is your property tenanted?
If you have tenants in your property this won’t stop you selling but can impact things like settlement timeframes or the buyer target market. Most buyers understand that properties are rentals as much as owner occupier and will work in with you on a solution that works best for all involved.
Talking to your property manager about options and how to communicate with the tenants is vital in your tenants getting onboard and working with you. They will have a fear that they are being “kicked out” but if they have a fixed lease in place they can’t be asked to move before the lease expires. Explaining this and working with your tenants is something we are very passionate about to ensure that we achieve the best possible outcome for you!
We’ve heard from so many tenants that we have worked with that they liked dealing with us, even if it meant they had to move at the end of their lease, as they were included in the process and didn’t feel like they were being “pushed around”.
If there is anything else that I am able to assist with or you have any further queries please don’t hesitate to reach out.