After the impact post-election, the hiatus of the summer and interest rates and mortgage rates finally looking set to fall, more sellers are expected to put their homes on the market this autumn ready to move. If you are one of them, you’ll be wanting a stress-free and quick sale, so what are the common mistakes to avoid?

Being unprepared

You might have decided to put your house on the market but are you prepared for all the hard work and expense that involves? One of your biggest jobs will be decluttering your property to avoid moving redundant items to your new home and to allow prospective buyers to see the features of your property more clearly. But it’s time-consuming and shouldn’t be rushed. You’ll also need to consider moving costs – from the price of repairs to getting Energy Performance Certificates updated if they’ve expired. You also need to collate all the information buyers will need.

Failing to stage and repair your property

During the decluttering process you should be completing any maintenance or repair jobs you discover, or that you know will otherwise come up in a survey. This will help to avoid prolonged negotiation over whose responsibility it is later down the line. It will also boost buyer confidence that the property has been well-looked after and that there are no nasty surprises looming. Staging your property helps to focus buyers’ minds on its potential and how it might suit them.

Unrealistic pricing

Unrealistic pricing can be one of the biggest factors to hamper a sale. Too high a price could put off buyers from even considering your property. Others may consider it but with the intention of making an offer far below your asking price, causing you to get your hopes up of achieving the price you want, only to have them dashed. Pricing realistically, for the area, your target market and current selling conditions will help you to generate maximum interest and value.

Rejecting offers without full consideration

Another pitfall can be holding out for a ‘better’ offer from a prospective buyer. But a high offer price is only part of the deal. Depending on your urgency to move you might want to consider a slightly lower offer from a buyer who’s ready and able to move rather than someone who’s made a higher bid but hasn’t yet sorted out their mortgage or found their next property. Shortening the chain where possible will reduce the risk of it collapsing.

Failing to ask for recommendations for an estate agent

Another of your big decisions will be choosing an estate agent. The lure of a high valuation can sway thinking on who you choose. But your decision should be based on the agent’s record for selling and recommendations from other sellers. Do they regularly achieve the asking price or are they constantly discounting prices at a later date? Choosing based on a high valuation could leave you with a mispriced property that fails to generate buyer interest.

Wanting to handle viewings yourself

You know your property best. So, you may think that makes you the most qualified person to show your property to potential viewers. But it’s your agent who will know what buyers are looking for, what features in your property to highlight and how to negotiate any tricky questions. Potential buyers are also likely to be more honest about whether they are really interested with an agent than with you, which will save wasting everyone’s time.

At PH Estate Agents, we specialise in properties across Cleveland and North Yorkshire, our heritage comes from traditional estate agency values, based on trust and exceptional customer service.

Residential & Commercial Sales: From market valuations to sales progression, and offering accompanied viewings and sales reviews as standard, our sales team have you covered for everything you need when selling your home or business.

Residential & Commercial Lettings: We offer a full range of letting services from a tenant find service to fully managed lets, and our team of experienced lettings managers offer guidance throughout the lettings process.