One of the main occupational hazards I encounter in my job is that I go out to so many beautiful properties…and then at the end of the day I go back to my own house, and notice all its flaws. When giving advice to potential vendors, its always been a “do as I say, not do as I do” approach and thank goodness they don’t all come round to my house and see last nights dinner plates still on the side or the growing collection of shoes by the front door! Well, untidiness aside (which I blame my Husband for anyway!), I have finally waged war on the DIY jobs which are long overdue and have launched “Operation House Proud 2012” which is my bid to smartening up our home and includes things such as boarding out the loft, re-felting the sheds in the garden and re-decorating the bathroom.
Now although I am currently getting these jobs done to improve the property for our own enjoyment, (as I am not thinking of selling in the near future) they are also all crucial to maintaining its condition and increasing the value in the long run. For those who are thinking of selling, you need to ensure the presentation of your property is the best it can be – and that the price you are asking for it matches up. So often I hear people say that they cannot afford to modernise certain aspects of their home, nor can they afford to reduce the price. The obvious problem with this statement is that if you are not willing to reflect what needs to be done in the price you are asking, why would a potential buyer pay a premium for a property which they will need to spend their own money on? In addition, with the average deposit in the UK being £60,000, buyers do not often have very much left in the pot to shell out on expensive repairs so you are automatically reducing the amount of people to whom your property will appeal by not addressing any issues prior to marketing. If you are not in a financial position to spend money on your house before it is advertised for sale then inevitably you cannot expect to achieve the same sale price as another property owner who has. It sounds harsh but if you can try to imagine your house as a product, rather than as your home, it all makes perfect sense.
With every valuation carried out by Barker Healey Property, we provide a free information pack which includes lots of handy tips and advice on everything from preparing your property for sale to going through the legal process; and if you do go on to instruct us, you will pay just 1% of the sale price and NO VAT. We also operate a no sale, no fee policy and will offer additional incentives and support along the way – all designed to get you moving! *
For more information, call Louise or Marion at Barker Healey Property on 01952 813625 / 07990534562.
* terms and conditions apply
