TENS of thousands of people will put their houses on the market in the New Year.
Despite reported concerns over house prices, there still remains a high level of demand in the market.
But securing a quick sale will be vital for many.
Property expert Jonathan Rolande, founder of House Buy, has overseen thousands of sales during a two-decade career in the property industry.
Jonathan says: “When you’ve made a decision to sell your home, nothing is more frustrating than waiting, whether it’s for the right buyer or for the considerable paperwork which is required to sell a home.
“If it has been a while since you have moved home, you might not be aware of the new rules which have come into force both for buying and selling. Not having these things in place can cause avoidable delays.”
Here Jonathan shares ten pieces of advice for securing the quickest possible sale in 2024.
- Energy Performance Certificate
If you bought your home in the last decade you may have a certificate already but if you are unsure, check on the government’s online database which lists every EPC in the UK. An energy performance certificate shows a prospective buyer how energy efficient the building is. With energy prices high, the better the rating, the more attractive the property will be to buyers.
If your property doesn’t have an EPC, you are legally obliged to get one before you put it on the market. You can search for an EPC by postcode.
- Property title deeds
Title deeds prove that you are the rightful owner of the property which is essential to complete the transaction. Your solicitor should have sent them when you purchased your home or they may be kept with the solicitor or mortgage provider. All property should be registered with the Land Registry. If you can’t find your title deeds, you can request a copy for just £3.
- Get a copy of the leasehold
If your property is leasehold, you will need to provide that lease as any prospective buyer will need to know how long it has left. It will also provide key information such as additional charges a buyer will have to pay. The shorter the lease, the less valuable the property and some mortgage providers will expect a minimum duration left before they offer someone a deal.
- Building regulation certificate
If you’ve made any changes to your home, you’ll need to show evidence this was done with the proper consent. Make sure you have planning permission documents, building regulation approvals and completion certificates. If you didn’t get any of this, you will need to provide information on any building or alteration work you did.
- Fittings and contents forms
The fittings and contents (TA10) form allows the seller to identify what’s included and excluded from the sale price. It’s not mandatory but you’re likely to need a form for every purchase and it helps to prevent confusion and disputes.
- Update the exterior
First impressions count. Unless someone is looking for a ‘project’ in which case they will be expecting to pay the absolute minimum, you want someone’s first look at your property to be good. If they start on a negative, everything else they see will be compensating for that initial poor impression.
- Make the interior ‘neutral’
You might love that hot pink feature wall, but it might not be for everyone. A fresh coat of paint in a neutral colour will allow others to see your home as a blank canvas on which they can work.
- Smarten up the bathroom
No one wants the prospect of a home with a scruffy bathroom. It means an additional hefty cost to update it and these things aren’t quick to do. A blue bathroom has also been reported to increase the value of a property by 1.6%!
- Give the kitchen some love
Just like the bathroom, a kitchen with wonky doors and old-fashioned appliances will make a possible buyer see that time and money will be needed. You should fix any small jobs you’ve been avoiding and declutter and thoroughly clean surfaces to give a better impression.
- Tidy up!
You might be fine with the kids’ toys all over the sitting room, but if the person looking to buy the home would rather have pastel sofas and plush carpets than Peppa Pig, don’t make the leap from ‘now’ to ‘possible’ too big.
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