Before any homeowner puts their house for sale and invites strangers in to view their home there is usually a consideration of market value, curb appeal and what one might do to prepare the home for a profitable sale. Whether or not we spend the time and invest in that process depends on our personal circumstances of course. However, it is always worth thinking about what steps you can take before putting your house on the market. A little thought and preparation can help you ensure a sale, sometimes a quick sale and a profitable margin. Here are our tips!

What Should You Do Before Putting Your House on the Market?

So much of the time, we often underestimate how big of a task selling a property really is. Of course you have to get it looking good so it’s appealing to potential buyers, you need to pick an efficient and well reputed estate agent, it’s crucial that you ensure you’re following all of their advice when it comes to viewings and dealings to give yourself the best chance possible of selling – but what about before you even start all of that, and before you even put your home on the market? Today, we’re going to take a look at what the things are you should really be doing before putting your home on the market.

Gather All of the Relevant Documents

Before putting your house for sale, ensure that you have all the relevant documents you’ll need to smooth the process. Selling can sometimes be surprisingly quick, so it’s best to be prepared. Say in the early days a potential buyer wanted to find out the value of your home, but you hadn’t listed it yet – having the relevant details and documents handy is likely to save you a lot of time and stress, so do it in advance.

Relevant documents should include things like your EPC – or energy performance certificate – any details of home improvements and electrical repairs, and even things like the deeds to your property that state its age and history. Property is a big investment, so it’s no surprise that buyers want to know all the details of the property before committing. Make it easier for you, by making it easier for them. After all, as they say in business, the customer is always right!

Research the Right Time to Sell

Before taking the plunge and putting your home on the market, it’s best to research when is the best time to sell. Believe it or not there is actually a right time to sell your house, it’s just about knowing when that is, and which one suits you:

• Unsurprisingly, the worst time to put your house for sale is Winter, followed by the Autumn. This is of course, because of the cold weather, short days and dark nights. Who really feels like uprooting their entire life and moving somewhere new in the rain and fog? Not to mention the icy road conditions that could occur. If you want to sell your property in Winter, you might be better off spending the cold months making improvements. Then prepare to sell later on in the year.
• Spring and Summer are far better times to put your home on the market. The days are longer, the nights are lighter. With weather warmer people are far more ready for a change. Because of the brighter weather, it also becomes a lot easier to show your home off to the best of your ability using the natural lighting. If you can, wait until these seasons to put your home on the market – you could save money by making a much quicker sale.
• Another period when property tends to sell successfully is in the new year. Yes, we’ve just stated that winter is the worst time to sell – but in that brief period of January optimism people make resolutions to change and improve you have a window.  You could just bag yourself a buyer. It’s a little more risky.  I it doesn’t work out you have a few months to wait for the next optimum sale time. But it could be worth the risk. All you can do is try.

Make Home Improvements before putting your house for sale

Last, but certainly not least, make the improvements BEFORE you put your house on the market – particularly if you’re renovating. Ensure all is completed prior to listing the property on public forums. Nobody wants to move into a building site – all they want is the new and improved end product.

Consider what to improve before a house sale

Think carefully about what you could improve in order to make your property more appealing. An ideal place to start would be with functional rooms like the kitchen and bathroom.

Making improvements without the hassle and expense of renovation  is possible. Simply rearrange your interiors with a lick of paint.

This can go a long way to make a property more appealing. So if you commit to doing them before putting your home on the market, it can’t go wrong.

FURTHER READING ABOUT REAL ESTATE AND SELLING PROPERTY

At Housesitmatch.com we like to offer useful and practical articles on topics for our readers. In this selection we offer you a number of suitable pieces from our own blog on renovating and decorating a home.

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