PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING: Hello Forumites! In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non-MoneySaving matters are not permitted per the Forum rules. While we understand that mentioning house prices may sometimes be relevant to a user's specific MoneySaving situation, we ask that you please avoid veering into broad, general debates about the market, the economy and politics, as these can unfortunately lead to abusive or hateful behaviour. Threads that are found to have derailed into wider discussions may be removed. Users who repeatedly disregard this may have their Forum account banned. Please also avoid posting personally identifiable information, including links to your own online property listing which may reveal your address. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

The Great 'what you wish you'd known before selling your house' Hunt

Options
Former_MSE_Debs
Former_MSE_Debs Posts: 890 Forumite
edited 12 November 2012 at 12:07PM in House buying, renting & selling
The Great 'what you wish you'd known before selling your house' Hunt
We want to tap into MoneySavers' collective knowledge to collate top tips for newbie home-sellers. From estate agents and advertising to prospective buyers' chat-up lines, tell us your tricks.
«1345678

Comments

  • 1) Don't just choose the cheapest solicitor who is based in an office miles away. They will most likely have taken on too many jobs, will be slow, will make a hash of the job and their secretaries will be completely useless.

    2) Make sure the money for the mortgage deposit can be easily withdrawn. I had money in my account and due to the security procedures of a certain incompetent Spanish bank, it took just over two weeks for the funds to clear, thus delaying the moving date.

    3) Do your homework on the area - I am in the town centre and drove around the area at nighttime several times to make sure I wasn't in for any nasty surprises upon moving in (antisocial behavior / noise etc)

    4) Remember that the term "Soliciting" does not refer to work carried out by a solicitor and is not a good thing to write in a formal email - whoops.
  • BASFORDLAD
    BASFORDLAD Posts: 2,418 Forumite
    Have a proper clear out. Completely declutter
    For everthing else there's mastercard.
    For clampers there's Barclaycard.
  • Nan_Dingle
    Nan_Dingle Posts: 166 Forumite
    edited 7 November 2012 at 7:37PM
    Post your house pics on here for devastatingly frank comments before your property is on Rightmove!
  • Having just sold my house and currently viewing houses, I would say relax when showing people around. There is nothing worse than being given far too much information - no-one generally needs notification of every power point or the complete history of the house and if they do, they will ask.
    I think being relaxed when dealing with viewings makes your potential buyer relax too, rather than feeling pressurised to take an interest in your waffle and also you don't look desperate - even if you are!! Good luck everyone.
  • Declutter - that's vital - but you may not recognise your own things as clutter because you're so used to seeing them. Get a ruthless friend to cast an eye over your place, and have a bin liner handy. And don't just shove it all in the cupboard where it will fall out when potential buyers open the door!
  • googler
    googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Everything that is visible to viewers should be something designed to be appealling, and to 'sell' your home.

    For example;

    In the kitchen, your plastic dish draining tray, which you normally leave in the sink or on the drainer, should be removed. Likewise your washing up liquid, cleaning cloths, brushes, etc should be tucked away. Nobody will find these appealling. They're not a selling point.

    In the bathroom, find a box that will take all of your daily toiletries. Bring it out last thing at night, put it away again in the morning. Leaving half-empty toothpaste tubes, shower gels, wet loofahs all over the place is not a good look.

    Kitchens and Bathrooms especially, and the rest of the house too, should be clean, clean, clean. Nobody wants to buy your dirt.
  • googler
    googler Posts: 16,103 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Having just sold my house and currently viewing houses, I would say relax when showing people around.

    There's nothing more relaxing than going for a walk or continuing with your daily life whilst your agent does your viewings for you.

    They'll have done this far, far more than you will have, and will therefore be better at it. Forget the argument about "I know my house better than the agent". For the vast majority of houses in this country, what can the owner know about their house that can't be communicated to their agent?
  • Remember to put aside enough money for the other costs involved in buying property, beyond the cost of the property itself.

    These can vary dramatically in price, but include mortgage fees, legal fees and surveyors costs.

    Also stamp duty is payable on all properties that cost more than £125k.
  • jaycube
    jaycube Posts: 55 Forumite
    10 Posts
    These money saving techniques are very good for a middle class person, must try it.
  • Patr100
    Patr100 Posts: 2,781 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Paramount wrote: »
    Remember to put aside enough money for the other costs involved in buying property, beyond the cost of the property itself.

    These can vary dramatically in price, but include mortgage fees, legal fees and surveyors costs.

    Also stamp duty is payable on all properties that cost more than £125k.

    Fine , but isn't this thread about selling not buying?
    The Great 'what you wish you'd known before selling your house' Hunt

    To update our house-selling guide, we want to tap into MoneySavers' collective knowledge to collate top tips for newbie home-sellers. From estate agents and advertising to prospective buyers' chat-up lines, tell us your tricks.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 351.1K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.2K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.6K Spending & Discounts
  • 244.1K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 599.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177K Life & Family
  • 257.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.