You’ve heard it’s a seller’s market. You’re relocating for work. You’re looking to move out to the countryside. Whatever your reason, you’re ready to sell your home, but not sure where to start.
Our team of Bristol estate agents, here and Brunt and Fussell, put together a quick guide on how to sell your house.
1. Pick a credible Bristol estate agent
When it comes to selling your home, picking the right estate agent for you isn’t just who has the flashiest adverts or business cards. You need to pick an agent who is familiar with your market, whether Redfield or Paintworks, so they can properly value your home and support you through the selling process.
2. Have a thorough valuation
There is nothing more damaging to the selling process than entering the market with your house priced way too low or way too high. Too low, buyers will ask what’s wrong with it. Too high, buyers will think you’ve lost the plot. Making sure your property has had a valuation from credible and experienced Bristol estate agents is imperative before you go to market.
3. Get your home ready to sell
Before you got to market, you need to get your house ready for the limelight. That means mowing the lawn, trimming the weeds, cleaning the grout, or refreshing the trim. It also means removing clutter and mess from the home so pictures can be taken and buyers can view a light and airy house.
Some people choose to replace major things around their property such as new boilers, new windows, or new roofs to increase the price they can go to market on.
4. Decide when to put your house on the market
Spring is always the best time to put your house on the market. From February to June the housing market springs into action. The next best time is during autumn when people want to be settled into a new property before Christmas.
However, we recently talked about how the housing market will be steady by mid year. If you’re looking to sell this year, then we recommend getting your house on the market sooner rather than later.
5. Know the timeline of a house sale
Within the first four to six weeks of listing your Bristol house for sale, you want to wow the market. Which is why coming in at the right price point is crucial.
If you don’t wow the market, it could skew the timeline. But typically, it takes around 25 weeks to sell your home, from listing to handing over the keys. But it can take as little as 17 weeks or as long as 34 weeks, there are many factors that will sway the timeline.
6. Have the documents you need
You need several documents when it’s time to sell your property. So get these organised before listing to speed up the timeline we mentioned above.
- An Energy Performance Certificate. A legal requirement for sellers since 2008, an EPC will tell buyers how well your home uses energy
- FENSA certificates for windows and doors
- A Boiler Safety Certificate
- Gas Safety Certificate
- Electrical Installation Certificate
- Planning approval for any major works
You’ll also fill out a form with your solicitor about what you’re planning to include in the sale such as the curtains, appliances, or furniture.
7. What to do if buying and selling at the same time
Buying and selling at the same time can be stressful. But the best thing you can do is communicate your plans, your wants, and your timeline with your Bristol estate agent. You’ll always want to make sure all your documents are in order for your estate agent, your conveyancer, and your solicitors. You’ll also want to make sure you’ve qualified and decided on who your Bristol estate agent, your conveyancer, and your solicitor will be before you begin the process of house hunting or selling.
8. Be ready to be under offer
Once you’ve gotten an offer from a buyer, it’s time to dive head first into the property chain. An experienced Bristol estate agent will ensure they support you through this process.
This is where the hold-ups can happen in the timeline as the solicitors go back and forth, the conveyancer needs to do their job. It can take just a few weeks or several months, but having everything in place from above is how you can speed this along.
9. Move on out.
Once the dotted lines are signed, it’s time to organise moving you out. If you’ve purchased a new property you’ll want to contact a removal service several weeks in advance to coordinate the removal process and the move-in process, especially if you’re not moving locally.
And then your Bristol estate agent will handover the keys to the new homeowners
Are you ready to sell your Bristol home?
If you’re ready to sell, contact us today to start the first steps!
