Getting Your Home Ready to Sell in Berkshire
It might sound like a simple enough task but putting your house on the market is rarely as straightforward as it should be. The main focus here is to try and sell up relatively quickly so you can move onto buying or renting your new house or flat. However, this isn’t always possible, and you might be in a situation where your property languishes on the market for months on end.
Camp Hopson has years’ worth of experience in removals, and we have a lot of useful insights into the housing market in the UK. To help you sell your home in Berkshire, here are some of our top tips to move things in the right direction.
Prepare to Sell Your Home from a Buyer’s Perspective –
Prior to the lockdown, the average time a property spends on the market unsold was approximately two or three months. Due to lockdown, there’s no way of knowing if you’ll find it easier to sell or more difficult. However, it’s vital you don’t second guess or make any assumptions. Instead, our suggestion is – be proactive, undertake any small repairs, and consider some home improvements.
The idea is to bring out the best features, so they catch the eye of a potential buyer. And it goes without saying you don’t want something negative to be noticeable. Go the extra mile, consider small decorative props you can display to give the room a particular impression. Additionally, think about how you can sell the idea of the location as well as the property. You can achieve this with a simple list of local amenities, transport information and points of interest.
We can’t stress this enough – a clean house will speak volumes, as will a dirty or poorly maintained one. You must ensure there’s no visible damage or faded paintwork. Ask a friend who can offer constructive criticism to roleplay a viewing to point out the pros and cons of your home. Furthermore, you must book an inspection to check for any defects before you put your house or apartment on the market.
An Essential Checklist when Preparing Your Home for Viewings –
If you need a quick assessment of the current state of your property, you can use this general checklist to take some initial action. Remember, this is only a quick guide, and it’s essential you go into more detail to help you sell your property quickly.
Clean every room – this one’s an absolute must for anyone who’s putting their house or flat up for sale. It’s the bare minimum effort you need to put in, although it’s also a good idea to contact some professional cleaning companies for quotes.
Check for any small repairs – another one you need to complete, but there are plenty of handyman services to do this for you. Minor repairs are easy enough to solve; remember anything you personally take on might affect the value if you do it poorly.
Book a general inspection – you’ll likely be asked about repair work and building inspections by a smart potential buyer. It might not happen during the initial viewing, but they could come back with a list of queries. Nip this in the bud and book an inspection before putting the property on the market.
Enlist an estate agent – we’ll go into more detail about estate agents later in this blog, but it’s worth having this fresh in your mind now.
Move excess possessions into storage – unless your viewings are for potential tenants for a furnished property, you need to remove any excess furniture and applications. Rent a Camp Hopson self storage unit and move everything out of the way.
Why Consider Home Staging and Renovations?
Home staging is a professional term which results in showcasing your home’s best features. It can involve a partial or full renovation or remodelling work. It’s entirely feasible to undertake this role yourself, but you’ll need to approach it as a project. That requires lots of planning, costing, preparation on the property, designing and purchasing materials. This all happens well in advance of any of the physical work.
Our advice is to cost everything out and include quotes from a professional interior designer and builder. Please note – you should never try and do anything with the electric circuits or gas boiler unless you’re certified. It’s also worth remembering you’re trying to improve your property to sell it, so don’t make the mistake of trying to save money by doing it yourself.
You’re trying to do everything possible to make your home more inviting, as well as raising its value. It’s not possible to do this without creating a budget for quality building materials and decorating products. Enlist the best people to work with you during your home staging project. You get what you pay for, so make sure you take this seriously to get the necessary results.
Converting Rooms and Building Extensions –
Many people look at an additional bedroom or home office as something to raise their house’s value. If you’re thinking of this option, the first thing you’ll need to make a decision on is whether to convert or build a new room. For the latter, you’ll need to check with the council on planning regulations and potentially seek official permission. This will require you to draft a detailed plan, possibly with an architect and builder on board.
If possible, you should check if your building is listed, if you want to take on any building work. The ability to make any type of modification or rebuilding will have restrictions in place, with endless amounts of red tape and delays. And it’s critical you ignore this and go ahead without consulting your local council.
Camp Hopson has various packages and services to help with the construction of an extension. Additionally, we have the skills to assist with a home office or study from an existing room. Throughout the lockdown, we did this for several people who began working from their home due to the pandemic. We have the right tools and expertise to get the job done.
The Importance of Property Valuations –
If you want to get a better understanding of the impact property development, contact an estate agent. They will be able to assess the current value of your home, as well as how much it will increase after you complete your development. It will also help a lot to market your home if you’re already in contact with an estate agent.
It’s vital you get this valuation done before you start any work, rather than receiving the nasty shock of a loss in value. Tell estate agent any renovation ideas or room conversations in detail. Some plans look great on paper but might lower the value of the property. The typical offenders here are adding a room from a garage conversion, which often reduces the property’s value.
Wherever possible, you want to increase the overall value of your house or flat, preferably without outlaying a lot of capital. With the assistance of your estate agent, compile some information on similar houses in your area to gauge asking prices. You’ll need to work out how your home will stand out from them, especially if several other properties are on the market.
Another advantage of enlisting the advice of an estate agent early is they’ll likely want to add your property to their portfolio. They’ll have the additional motivation of seeing how the building improves throughout the development. This would give anyone a sense of being part of the project, which could help you achieve a quick sale.
Choosing a Reliable Removals Company –
At Camp Hopson, our number one priority is to provide the highest standard of service. You’ll always find someone available to discuss a service you book with us. Our team are here to help you find the right removals or storage package for your needs. We will gladly take you through our range of services and the costs for each, which includes a free quotation.
Camp Hopson’s ethos is to work with our customers to ensure they can help them get the service they require. Our team will guide you through the planning stages of your upcoming relocation. And if there are any unexpected delays, we have excellent storage packages. We guarantee that your possessions will be safe and secure.
Customer service is our number one priority, and the Camp Hopson team are here to help. We’re only a phone call or email away. Even if you want to collect some quotes for your upcoming project, we’ll gladly take you through our package and prices. And we can also send out an official assessor for more complicated bookings.
Camp Hopson – Here to Help You Successfully Sell Your Home in Berkshire –
Camp Hopson move thousands of people into Newbury and Berkshire every year. We know from experience that selling a house or flat can be stressful. That’s why it’s vital that you only use a removals company that focuses on customer service. Our team will be available to assist with any organisation, and we can also share useful information to help you make progress.
Every service we offer ensures that you’ll receive the right service to suit your needs. When you book your next move with Camp Hopson, you’ll be in the expert hands of a Master Removers Group company. Being a member of this elite group of removal and storage companies is achieved through a relentless drive for customer service and being the best company in Berkshire.
If you’re planning to sell your home in Newbury or Berkshire this year, contact us today. We’ll walk you through our range of services to see which one matches your requirements.
