Choosing an Agent.
The most crucial thing
to remember is that a person's home is the most valuable asset
they will ever own and without a doubt the most important factor
that most people take account of when looking at property is
how long has this property been on the market. Your house is
only new to the market once, marketing in the correct manner
will result in a rapid and efficient sale.
We are one of the only agents at present to offer a full written
agenda of how we intend selling your home and achieving its
true fair market value.Having
carried out considerable market research across the U.K. within
the property sector, there are three comments that keep coming
up….
1. Lack of communication from
my estate agent when enquires are made
2. I can never get hold of my estate agent and they never return
my calls
3. What is my estate agent doing to sell my house?
There
are a number of different ways to sell your property, including
selling it yourself or at auction. Your choice will depend on
how quickly you want to sell and how much leg work you want
to do yourself. The main way of selling a property, however,
is through an estate agent. Whichever
agent you choose to sell your home could make all the difference
to whether your home sells quickly and at the right price, so
it’s worth choosing carefully. It may be tempting to go with
the agent that quotes you the highest selling price, but how
long will it take to sell at that price?
Before
you give any estate agent the go ahead, make sure they will
do all they can to market your home. Before you sign an agreement,
find out which of the following services they can offer:
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Active
marketing to find buyers |
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Ways
of keeping you up to date |
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Professional
and helpful advice |
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A
fair suggested property valuation supported with evidence |
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Nationwide
network of agencies to identify potential buyers in other
areas |
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Web sites
with details of homes all over the country |
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Ways
of keeping the chain together |
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Knowledgeable
staff |
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Individual
on line access, to your own private diary account, enabling
you to keep completely up to date on the progress of your
house sale at your convince 24 hours a day. |
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Open
seven days a week |
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Online
24 hour sales progression |
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Floor
plans |
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360º
Virtual Tours |
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Excellent
local knowledge |
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Experienced
staff |
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Bonded
full colour sales particulars |
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Pre-
and post-sale advice |
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Full
let management service |
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Web
site updated by the second |
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Unlimited
colour photos |
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Accompanied
viewing service |
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Free current open market valuation with no obligation |
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Location
maps |
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Weekly
client progress reports (daily if required) plus many more |
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Marketing tools such as e-mailing and SMS messaging (picture
messaging to your mobile coming soon) |
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Virtual
video tours |
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On-line
printable colour brochures |
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Competitive
fees on a no sale, no fee basis |
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All
properties listed with our company are included on the world
wide web through this web site, which is linked to the U.K.'s
property portals. |
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Types of Agreement
You
don’t have to choose just one estate agency to sell your home
but it may actually improve your chances of selling. If buyers
see your home advertised in too many places, rather than come
to see it, they may simply wonder what’s wrong with it.
Make
sure you understand what type of agency agreement you are signing
before putting pen to paper:
| Sole
Agency |
Only one agent markets the property. |
| Joint
Agency |
Two agents market the property and split the fee
between them on an agreed basis when the property is sold. For example a winner takes the fee or a two third one third split. |
| Multiple
Agency |
Several agencies market the property and the agency that
sells it gets the fee. |
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Viewing
Preparation
 |
Before
someone comes to see your home, make sure both the inside
and the outside look well cared for and welcoming. People
will be looking at your home from the pavement – or
even from their car – and if they don’t like what they
see, they may not bother coming in. Here are some helpful
tips: |
| Tidy
up |
Rooms
look larger and more inviting when they are neat
and uncluttered. Put clothes away and close cupboard
and wardrobe doors, make the beds, do the washing
up, clean the sink and remove any limescale from
taps. Kitchen work surfaces should be clear, make
sure bathrooms are clean and toilet seats are down. |
| Get
the lighting right |
Your
home should look warm and cosy, inside and out.
Replace any burned out bulbs, open the windows,
(even for a few minutes – to get rid of any cooking
or pet odours). If it’s winter, make sure your home
feels warm. Empty the kitchen bin, make sure the
windows are clean inside and out, turn off the TV
and put the radio on softly and tidy away any children’s
toys you have. |
| Sort
the kids out |
Make sure your children will let visitors look
around your property without distracting them – you
may wish to arrange child care. If you have pets,
make sure that they and their food are out of sight. |
|
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During
the Viewing
If
you are at home while people are viewing your property, you have
an opportunity to find out what’s important to them. Listen for
clues and, where possible, tell them about the features of your
home and the neighbourhood that you think would appeal to them.
Once
you have told them everything you think is useful, let them look round
the property again on their own so that they can gather their own
thoughts and impressions.
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Accepting
an Offer
When
someone decides that your home is the one for them, they will
make an offer through ourselves and we will relay it to you.
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Receiving
an Offer
You
may be lucky and get an offer for the full asking price. But many
people offer a lower price to start with. They may do this because:
Their
mortgage lender may not allow them to borrow enough money They
may feel that the property is not worth the asking price They
want to test your reaction. It’s
important to remember that you don’t have to take the first offer
you get. In fact, you may be unable to accept a lower offer because
you need the full asking price in order to buy your next home.
We will talk the situation over with you.
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Assessing an Offer
There’s no
hard and fast rule on what makes a good offer, but it is important
to know these basic criteria:
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Are
they first-time buyers and therefore able to move quickly? |
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If they
have a home to sell, is it already on the market? |
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Have
they already accepted an offer for their home? |
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How
quickly do they need to move? |
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Do they
intend to pay cash? |
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If not,
do they have an agreement in principle to a mortgage? |
Accepting an offer from someone who isn’t ready to move yet could
lead to several complications and delays later. You may want your
home to remain on the market until the buyer is in a stronger
position. We will offer you advice on individual offers.
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Useful Links
Your Neighbourhood, it is
important to know your local neighbourhood, below are a few links
that will tell you all you need to know
https://www.iammoving.com/
Let people know you have moved - this free change-of-address
service covers everyone from the DVLA to British Gas. http://www.localx.co.uk/clients/primelocation/home.htm Local
information supplied by Primelocation on property prices, council
performance, schools and local services. http://www.upmystreet.co.uk Local information supplied by
UpMyStreet on everything from Ambulance Response Times to School
league tables.
Please note these links should only be used as a
guide. Harvey Scott can not accept any responsibility for
misleading or
inaccurate information. We suggest you should
confirm any information with the local authority or other
professional bodies.
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