Sellers Guide

Navigating your home sale

Selling your home is no small feat. It can be an emotional and uncertain process. At Ellis Brooke, we understand the maze you're navigating. Here’s our simple guide with ten essential tips for selling your property.

1. Choose a trustworthy estate agent: A skilled and experienced agent will understand your local community. They’ll provide you with invaluable knowledge of your local housing market, as well as excellent negotiation skills to overcome any hurdles and get you the best deal. 
2. Be clear on why you want to sell: Do you want a quick sale? Or do you want to wait for the best offer? Being clear on why you’re doing this and reminding yourself of this throughout the process will help you make informed decisions. 
3. Build your curb appeal: First impressions matter. Tidy the exterior of your home. Improve its curb appeal by mowing the lawn, cleaning the windows and adding a splash of colour with potted plants. 
4. Declutter and depersonalise: Before any photos are taken, declutter your space. Make your space appear larger by removing anything that isn’t essential. This allows buyers to imagine themselves living in your home without any distractions. 
5. Be realistic: Choose an agent that can price your home accurately. It’s a delicate balance; pricing your home too high will put off buyers, but too low might lead to financial losses for you. An experienced estate agent will always be able to guide you through how they arrived at the proposed asking price.
6. Invest in photography or staging: Showcase your home’s potential and present it in the best possible light with professional photography.  If you have a newly built property or you’ve rented it out you might want to invest in professional staging to create the most attractive atmosphere. 
7. Fix minor issues: Whether it’s a mortgage survey from a bank, a building survey or structural survey, your buyers will choose a survey to meet their needs. You need to be prepared to address any issues raised by the surveyor at an early stage.
8. Prepare for paperwork: Your estate agent will support you so that you’re legally prepared and avoid any unnecessary delays. By working with both your solicitor and estate agent, you’ll ensure that all your paperwork is handled correctly.
9. Be flexible with viewings: Open house days will attract a bigger pool of potential buyers with minimum inconvenience for you. Feedback from these viewings can offer valuable insights so you can make any necessary adjustments. 
10. Negotiate with care: Negotiations are part of the process, so consider your limits and be prepared to compromise. Trust your estate agent to handle it and present you with all the crucial information so you can fully consider any offers.

These are just some of the steps we’ll take here at Ellis Brooke, where your needs as a seller always come first. With over 30 years of experience of selling homes in Rugby, we’ll guide you through every step of the process with ease and confidence and if you’re ready to sell your home, we offer free, no obligation valuations to help you get started.