Selling your home in 2014? 14 must-read tips from top Surrey Estate Agent, Barton Wyatt
Barton Wyatt has been operating as an Estate Agent in Surrey since 1927 and longevity like this should not be taken lightly. Hard work and dedication creates businesses that are experts in their field and the team in Virginia Water have amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience over the years.
Multi award-winning Barton Wyatt is trusted by Surrey’s vendors to achieve premium prices for their homes and are repeatedly used, time and time again, by landlords both at home and overseas who trust the long-standing loyal team.
With just over half (51%) believing that the next 12 months will be a good time to sell their UK property according to the latest Halifax Housing Market Confidence Tracker, Barton Wyatt has compiled their top 14 tips to help you sell your house in 2014:
1. First Impression – “This can be make or break” says Sales Manager Oliver Clarke. “If a purchaser is put off before the entering the front door then we are doomed. So take a look at the outside of your home as a stranger might see it. It might be winter and very wet but for a small sum or some time and energy you could tidy the garden and plant a pretty pot by your front door.”
2. Odour – It may seem minor but the aroma of your house is really very important when you are selling. A simple diffuser discretely hidden in the lobby could do the trick. Some people proffer the advice of coffee and home baked bread but we are realistic, it could take a few weeks to sell your home and you cannot be there ready to turn on the bread maker at the drop of a hat.
3. Tidy – Obvious to most but not to all. And being tidy might need to go on for a while as we said above! Our advice is to have a seriously good clear out before you put the house on the market – even if you bundle up your prized possessions and take them off site. Prospective buyers do not want to see a collection of widgets or piles of paperwork – they want clean lines and uncluttered work surfaces that create a feeling of space.
4. Clean – Fresh, sparkling and inviting would be perfect. Hard to achieve when you have an active life with pets and children running amuck we know but the cleaner your house is the easier it is to sell.
5. Temperature – Heating houses is an expensive business however taking a client into a house that has sat empty for the weekend without the heating on is going to put them off instantly – keep your house ticking over at a pleasant 15-20° C – it will stop your pipes bursting and mean that we don’t shiver round the viewing!
6. Animals – People’s pets are much loved by the owner but very often just the owner and not necessarily the person that is going to buy your house. Pets also can have quite a strong odour, not to mention the litter trays, food bowls and paraphernalia that goes with having an animal in the house to try to keep pet evidence to a minimum.
7. Bathrooms – On the whole one would not expect an overhaul of the bathroom prior to a house sale however we cannot urge you enough to ensure that the bathrooms are as pristine as they can be. There is nothing more off putting to a buyer than someone else’s mess or dirt in these rooms. And it can be excruciating as the agent to have to dash in and flush before the client enters!
8. Beds – Are to made please not crumpled and looking like some just crawled out of it!
9. Kitchen – Spare a thought for the poor estate agent as you dash out the house without loading the dishwasher! We want to take pride in your house when we show clients around and left over breakfast is not the first thing they want to see as they enter the kitchen.
10. Garden – A rear garden does not have to be pristine but as with the house, tidiness is an asset. As your potential buyer gazes from the master bedroom over the garden they would like to see cut grass, trimmed borders and some greenery. Not always possible at this time of the year but some effort is always extremely obvious.
11. Problem areas – It is possible that you have a part of your house that you would rather not draw attention to, perhaps somewhere that is mid repair. Our recommendation is that you get any problems fixed before instructing to put the house on the market or advise your agent as to how the issue could be fixed in order to reassure a potential buyer.
12. Flowers – It is not just an urban myth that people buy houses with cut flowers – they actually do. If you know you have a viewing and you have the time and money to buy some flowers then do so. The best show homes in the country have fresh cut flowers, they are there for a reason.
13. De-clutter – We mentioned the importance of being tidy earlier but de-cluttering your house and garden is something that will almost definitely need your attention. Be it your garage, your shed or your study shelves you can never de-clutter enough in our opinion.
14. Brief the agent – The more we are prepared to answer questions about your house the easier it will be to sell it and allay any fears that prospective buyers may have. As an Estate Agent we dislike not having the answers. And we particularly dislike not knowing how your gadgetry works so please do show us how to use the ipad entry system, the drop down cinema and the fancy lighting system! If we make it look easy the clients will love it – if we don’t know how it works – then they are put off.
So if you are thinking of selling your house start work on the above and give us a call. We would be pleased to discuss any individual needs.
For more information contact the sales team at Barton Wyatt on 01344 843000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk