Top Selling Tips

Valuation

Find out How much is your home worth? When selling your property, one of the most important tasks is to get a definite idea of what your property is worth. Do not fall into the trap of choosing the agent that flatters you by giving the highest valuation, choose an agent that you can trust, has industry experience & a good insight of the local property market to deliver an accurate marketing price that will ensure your home will sell for the best price possible, in a time scale that suits you.

If your planning on a buying another property following the sale of yours, it’s important to sort out your future finances. The process has changed recently because of the introduction of the Mortgage Market Review, lenders now conduct much more intensive screening processes, double checking borrowers can definitely afford the mortgage repayments, based on their specific incomings and outgoings.
Organising how much you can borrow early on will give you a better idea of not only what you can afford to buy next but also how much you need to sell your current property for.

Marchwood stick to what were good at, selling and renting property, we don’t sell mortgages and prefer to stay impartial, do some initial research on the internet, approaching your existing lender and also speaking to an Independent financial advisor.

Choosing the right agent

You can sell your property privately, but the task of getting the price right, marketing your home, booking viewings, negotiating offers & then dealing with solicitors, can be a time consuming and daunting prospect. That’s why most sellers choose a quality local agent to take of the job for them.

Research has indicated that over 88% of sellers do not base their choice of estate agent just on price but also consider reputation, success in selling, and experience.

Marchwood has over 25 years' experience in selling property gained locally and in the vibrant London and South east property markets, we know that buyers and sellers value an agent that’s based nearby, offers high service standards & has a good reputation with excellent local knowledge.

Marketing your property

Properties are unique & individual, so we believe that every home requires a different approach to achieve a successful sale, a city centre apartment has marketing requirements vastly different to a country house, so a different approach to sell it needs to be adopted.

Your Marchwood personal agent will always adapt our service to suit exactly what you and your property needs to get the job done efficiently and effectively.

We use our experienced communication skills with buyers we think are interested in your property, always considering your personal timescales and price expectations, selling a property is not a numbers game, we don’t want to waste your time, our time or a buyer’s time matching the wrong purchaser to the wrong home.

• Quality sales brochures will be available at viewings, via the post or by email which contain accurate floor plans, interesting & honest descriptions, room dimensions and quality photography including aerial images if required.
  
• Comprehensive Internet marketing on the marchwood.uk.com website and other major portals such as Primelocation, Zoopla, Onthemarket, The Times and many, many more.
  
• Full colour 'For Sale' boards featuring the distinctive Marchwood logo always get buyers attention, making them stop and take notice that an interesting property is for sale or rent, A board is not always wanted or appropriate but even if you’re not keen, consider having one, as many homes sell as a direct result of a chance drive by, or friend & neighbour spotting the board and spreading the word.
  
• 7 days a week and after business hours point of contact for both you and potential buyers maximises the chance of Marchwood not missing out on potential enquiries for your home.
  
• A tenacious and enthusiastic attitude, all Marchwood agents are mature, highly incentivised individuals, they are serious about the job and uniquely confident in their own abilities, they only earn if they sell your property so they are determined to succeed & always happy to put in that extra effort.

Viewings

We prefer to carry out all the viewings for you, after all that’s what you’re paying us for and we have the knowledge and insight into exactly what the buyer is looking for, our skilled agents will highlight all the positive points that are not immediately obvious such as friendly neighbours, south facing gardens and in-built storage.

Preparation

However we still need your help too, these days first impressions really do count, most buyers search on the internet where image is everything,  so a little preparation really does go a long way, think about when you sell your second biggest asset, your car, to get the best price a good valet and polish will present it at its best and it’s not too different with your biggest asset, your home , your Marchwood agent will advise you on any points that could be improved upon and can even advise you of reliable tradesmen if you’re too busy or need their help to get any jobs done.

Outside

Give your property 'kerb appeal', if the outside of your home is looking a bit tired potential buyers may not be that optimistic about the inside. Try taking a step outside your property and objectively imagine what a buyer will think on their first approach, just by keeping the lawn tidy and keeping the windows and doors clean is one example of a simple and cost effective ways of creating a better impression quickly and easily.

Inside

We want potential buyers to imagine themselves living in your property, if they don’t, they simply won’t consider buying it, so make it easy for them to do this with a clean, comfortable and clutter-free impression.

• Control the temperature: keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter
• De-clutter: don’t allow buyers eyes to get distracted by your personal items
• Outstanding DIY jobs: get unfinished jobs that have been niggling you, taken care of.
• Think about refreshing any tired decor, using neutral tones that will appeal to most buyers
• Freshen up by opening windows slightly, brewing some fresh coffee or adding a vase of flowers to remove any cooking, smoke or pet smells.

Marchwood agents will always give you fast direct feedback from viewings which can be helpful to determine how we can make your property even more attractive to other buyers.

Skilled negotiation

Your dedicated Marchwood agent will deal with all the negotiations between you & the buyer, but be prepared for your offer, think in advance about how much you would be prepared to accept if a buyer offers a figure under the asking price.

The buyer's position may have a bearing on your decision, how proceed able are they and can they fit in with your requirements, are they cash buyers, if so, are the funds readily available or are they cash from a related sale, are they first time buyers, or are they in chain, and most importantly can they work to a timescale that suits you.

No matter what, rest assured Marchwood will never pressure you into accepting an offer you are not comfortable with. We never forget who we work for, you, not the buyers.

Accepting offers

Once negotiations have come to a positive conclusion and you are happy to accept an offer, you will need to instruct a property solicitor/conveyancer, If you haven't already done so.

If not, Marchwood have the details of a number of local firms who we have had positive past experiences with and that we are happy to put you in touch with.

Or if you like the idea of an online based service that offers you a dedicated property lawyer and 24/7 access to your own account so that you can monitor the progress of your sale whenever it suits you, we can recommend a reliable , reputable firm - Simply Conveyancing.

If you require mortgage funds for your next purchase now is the time to contact your mortgage provider/advisor and let them know that you need to take your application further.

Exchange

Apart from the moving day, The exchange of contracts is the most important point of selling your home, once contracts have been exchanged both parties are legally bound to go through with the transaction so it is vital that your transaction reaches this point as quickly and as smoothly as possible.

Prior to exchange your dedicated Marchwood agent would have been monitoring the progress of the legal work, liaising with the lawyers involved, keeping you updated and doing their best to ensure you a smooth and stress free sale reaches this point.

On the day of exchange, a non-refundable deposit (normally 10% of the purchase price) is transferred over to your conveyancer/solicitor from the buyers lawyer once all the legal work has been finalised, contracts can now be signed and exchanged, the completion/moving date is mutually agreed by all parties beforehand but is normally around two weeks after the exchange.

Completion

Finally on completion day your money will be transferred and your buyer will be able to move in to their new property once we have been instructed to release keys by your property lawyer, before leaving remember to take meter readings and re-direct your post.

It’s always helpful and a nice touch to leave some notes for the new owner to explain how things work and where to find the essentials such as the boiler switch or water stopcock,  this good deed will undoubtedly be repaid at a later and may even may help any stray post to be redirected by the new owners.