The preparation you put into getting your property ready for sale can be the difference between getting a standard price and a great price. The best part is, it’s not hard, time consuming or expensive. Whatever your motive for selling, the process can either be stress free or tense and disappointing. The good news is that you have the ability to choose. There are three main factors that will influence the outcome of any sale and they are as follows:

The method of sale you choose.

The level of profile for your home.

The agent you choose to work with.

If you get the right mix for all of the above then your well on the way to achieving a wonderful result in any market. The best way to come to that happy blend is to interview several different consultants or agents and look at the different options presented to you. One suggestion we would reinforce is to focus on the end result. Good agents are like good auctioneers, a bad one will cost you thousands and a good one will make you thousands.

Selling Tips

Buyers for a property can be found all year round however it’s not often that a purchaser for your home is out there, just waiting for you to put your home on the market. Timing, presentation and advertising are all required to bring buyers and sellers together for the best result. Spring is often considered to be the best time to sell. It’s a time of optimism and with the weather clearing, more potential buyers will be out and about. It is also a time when more sellers will put their homes on the market so there will be more competition. Winter usually presents fewer buyers, but the buyers are usually more focussed on purchasing and traditionally there will be fewer homes on the market to choose from. Prior to placing your home on the market, allow an additional two weeks to prepare both the property and the marketing material.

Timing 

One point to take note of especially if days on the normal market are stretching out is to give yourself a decent three months without any gaps ie don’t rush on to the market mid December as Christmas will arrive and things tend to grind to a halt for a few weeks. A fresh push will then be required to attract the buyers attention back to your home.

Presentation

A tidy home says “Welcome”. Your home should be kept neat and tidy during the period of inspections. It should not necessarily be a “show place” but appear a comfortable home in which to live. Fresh flowers or indoor plants always brighten up a home. While you are cleaning, think about each room and what furniture really needs to be in it. Rooms look smaller when they are crowded. Clear out anything that’s not needed to create a feeling of spaciousness. Make sure that all minor repairs are completed. Sticking doors and windows, loose doorknobs, faulty plumbing, or peeling paint may affect your sale. Let plenty of light into your home. Nothing improves atmosphere more than brightness and on a dull day switch on some lights prior to arrival of prospective purchasers. A warm comfortable heated home on cold days adds a feeling of cosiness; on a hot day do not forget to turn on any air conditioning or fans (or simply let the breeze flow through).

Methods of Sale

Choosing the correct method of sale is just as important as selecting the right agent that you can work with. You will find that Mike and Samantha are fully versed in every method normally used and more than happy to assist you when picking one that your comfortable with. To help you in this choice the following is a brief over view of the main methods used.

Sale with a Price (Private Treaty)

The most commonly used method where the properties are simply advertised with a price and depending on the level of marketing used and current market conditions can produce some good results. Main advantage is that both conditional and unconditional buyers can come forward. The disadvantages are that if the asking price is too high above the current market value then no sale occurs and likewise if you are too low then somebody has got a bargain! You can also expect to possibly attract offers with conditions attached as well, which may be detrimental to a final sale.

By Negotiation

In rising or sinking markets, this method is very useful in finding out what the true value of your home is worth without chasing off potential buyers with an unrealistic price. The property is simply on the market without a price and buyers are invited to put forward offers. If you are thinking of putting a price on your home then this is a superb way of finding out what that price should be. We would normally use “By Neg” for 2 weeks then use the market feedback to price your home. The main advantage is that both conditional and unconditional buyers can come forward. The big disadvantage is that once again conditional offers may come forward and one must be aware of only running this method for a short period of time to avoid the perception of being in fairy land with your pricing!

Tenders

Not normally as popular as auctions however there is a time and place for them. Especially where there may be more than one owner ie a family trust or perhaps several different options with the property such as a subdivision or multi commercial site. It normally runs for 4 weeks or so with a marketing campaign, has no mention of price and has a fixed date in place by which a buyer has to submit their offer. Offers can be conditional or unconditional and normally the vendor has 7 days to decide which offer or offers to work with. They are a great method to use if you need a bit of time to come to a decision. Main advantages are profile marketing, an end date in place and no price to scare any buyers off. Disadvantages are as follows. A lot of buyers are gun shy of tenders because they are going in blind with pricing etc when making an offer. The buyer does set the terms and conditions hoping that they are acceptable. But let’s be honest here how many people would put in their absolute top dollar in the first offer? Most expect to get a second chance and in a lot of cases they don’t, hence they aren’t as popular as an auction where you can keep bidding away till your happy with the figure you’ve paid. As far as the seller goes, they have very little control over the process compared to an auction and lastly conditional offers may come in, which while looking great at the time may have as much chance of turning into a sale as a snowball has of surviving summer on Midway Beach.

Auctions

One of the oldest and most successful methods of sale in existence and now widely accepted by the buying public. Its cash, unconditional, has a finite date and the seller has complete control of the whole process. The buyers like it because they can set their own price and bid to it as well as seeing exactly who the competition is in an open forum. When run by experienced auction consultants or agents, auctions are normally the most successful method of sale. The extra cost of an auction compared to other methods is only the fee paid to the auctioneer. If you are serious about selling then this is definitely worth considering.