Selling a home

Sell your home quickly and for a good price – get a survey

There are four important things to consider when selling hour home:

  1. Employing a good estate agent.
  2. Employing a good legal adviser.
  3. Presenting your home well.
  4. Making it easy for your purchaser.

Employing a good estate agent

Many people are nervous about employing an estate agent and all the old stereotypes come to the front of your mind.  Don’t worry: there are plenty of good estate agents; you’ve just got to find them.  When employing an estate agent don’t just give the business to the agent who gives the highest valuation, or even on the basis of their valuation at all.  Most agents will work with you in agreeing a marketing price (sometimes a higher sale price can be achieved with an asking price lower than the expected sale price, as more interested parties are enticed to view the property).

Employing a good legal adviser

Good legal advisers will not only make sure that your legal interests are protected; they will also be prepared to pick up the phone and speak to you, your estate agent, your purchaser’s legal adviser and your Building Surveyor if necessary.  Your legal adviser is crucial in progressing the sale to a quick conclusion, although they are of course limited by other factors.

Presenting your home well

It is tempting to think that buyers will not be bothered by the clothes on the bed or the smell of the dog, but most will be put off.  It is an old adage that people buy with their emotions, then justify it with their head, and this is no truer than when buying a property.  People will very often say they like or dislike the ‘feel’ of a property, but this ‘feel’ will usually be things like smells, how tatty or untidy the property is, how cluttered it is, how light *which you can change with lighter walls and ceilings, curtains open, and good artificial lighting, etc.  These things really do make a difference, as does the kerb appeal (weed your front garden!)

Making it easy for your purchaser – get a survey

Once you’ve agreed a sale there is still a risk that your purchaser will get cold feet or try to renegotiate.  The two most common things that cause this are taking too long to exchange and finding issues or problems with the house.

So, firstly, don’t dilly-dally.

And secondly, have a survey inspection of your home carried out.  This is a simple, economic aid to selling your home.  It will show you any problems that may delay your sale or cause price reductions later in the process.  Often a buyer’s survey will highlight numerous, but inexpensive defects that can look daunting.  By either rectifying a few minor defects, or being open and up front about them at the negotiating stage (and possibly obtaining competitive quotations), will give a buyer the confidence to proceed.  Nearly all properties have some issues.  A Property Health Check (Defects Inspection) may be the ideal way to improve the likelihood of a swift sale.

We have a range of survey types to suit all needs, costing from as little as £200.

Click on Survey Types Information Sheet for a description of the different types of survey that we offer.


Or even better, contact us on 01202 237377 or email info@sutherlandsurveyors.co.uk.