When selling your house, it can feel like the hard work is done once you’ve accepted that all important offer. However, there’s still a lot to do before you hand over the keys and complete. This stage can feel excruciatingly slow, but help is at hand.
To help get you moving, we’ve put together our ten top tips on how to speed up a house sale before and especially after you’ve found a buyer.
So, why might a property be slow to sell? The process of buying/selling a house is quite involved and there are lots of points at which a transaction might be derailed. A few things that might stop a sale include:
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to speed up the process and it’s not necessarily as difficult as you might assume. It’s mostly about being organised and making use of experienced experts…
These professionals want to sell your property almost as much as you! A local estate agent will not only have relevant local knowledge in order to provide an accurate valuation but will be your champion when it comes to marketing, finding potential buyers, and arranging viewings. Using an estate agent could cut your sale time as well as your stress.
It may be tempting to omit truths about your property but, in the long run, honesty is the best policy. If you know of something that may hinder your sale, tell your agent straight away. Has your house got damp? Do you suspect subsidence? Is there niggling doubt about building regs for any work you’ve done? Let your estate agent know and they can help you work through any potential speedbumps before they slow down your sale.
If you’re struggling to get initial interest, making your property as appealing as possible will logically help. Look around with a critical eye: can you declutter and freshen up a bit? You’d be amazed what a coat of neutral paint can achieve.
Double check the photos being used for marketing. Are you happy that they do your property justice? Lots of potential buyers simply scroll through pictures online and if yours don’t show your house at its best then they may not entice those all-important viewings.
How many stories have you heard from friends and family about slow or unreliable solicitors hampering property transactions? Get recommendations and choose someone you trust to get the job done.
Once you’ve found your solicitor, keep in touch with them for updates and personally check every document they send you. While we all hope no mistakes are made, it can pay off to make sure and address errors early.
This may feel like a daunting task but it’s essential and is better tackled sooner than later. You’ll need to present:
Get a mortgage agreement and all the forms completed so you’re ready to move as soon as the opportunity arises.
Searches and their findings can take time and cause delays. Get yours arranged early in the conveyancing process to speed things along. You should expect results back in 2-3 weeks and then you’ll find out if anything needs further investigation.
Finally, agree a completion date early on as you can’t exchange without one. Tell your solicitor and estate agent any dates to avoid and you should get over this final hurdle with ease.
When homeowners approach us and say, ‘I want to sell my property quickly!’, we do everything we can to help speed up the process. If you’re in the situation of wanting to accelerate a sale, follow these ten top tips, and get in touch with our expert, local team who are ready to help at every step.
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