First impressions are not only important when selling your home, they are absolutely critical. When people come to view a property for the first time, they are unlikely to be scrutinising the unseen. They are simply trying to get a feel for the property. They will be bombarded with mostly visual impressions, many of which

Most estate agents see their role solely as a “purveyor of buyers”, and they understandably pride themselves on their ability to find the right buyer for a property and to negotiate attractive terms for the seller. But estate agency has moved on. Indeed, finding a buyer is arguably one of the most straightforward aspects of

Selling An Unmodernised Property Our last article focussed on issues to think about when buying an unmodernised property. However, sellers should also be careful when

Buying an Unmodernised Property   There are about a dozen property-related programmes on TV every week. Some of these track the progress of a wreck

When you instruct an estate agent to sell your home, you naturally want them to promote it in its best light. But what does this actually mean?

Many people would expect their agent to produce property particulars that are an accurate and comprehensive guide to the property, be this hard copy or online. However, too

Auctions have become recognised as the most effective way of selling a property decisively in the shortest possible period of time. Gone are the days of property auctions only being regarded as a sale of last resort; sellers are increasingly seeing some excellent results – for the following reasons: An auction creates a “day of

Many estate agents will flatter you and promote themselves by claiming that they’ll get you the “highest price in the shortest possible time”. This is easy to say, but not so easy for most agents to justify or indeed deliver! Effective property sales involve a combination of great presentation, attractive pricing and effective marketing along

In a competitive market, we know that as long as your property is priced attractively, it will sell. However, many people spend a fortune on improving their home expecting at least the cost of the improvements to be returned to them via an increased sale price. This can be a mistake, as around 90% of

We understand how stressful it can be to sell your home, and it is reasonable that prospective sellers may be tempted to appoint two or more agents in the hope of increasing their chances of selling. However, this can be counter-productive, for the following reasons:

1. Build a platform of competition between buyers – not agents!

As a buyer you are in a powerful position, both in terms of the effect your buying decision will have on your own life, and on that of the person from whom you buy.

If a property were some form of commodity like petrol or milk, then you would simply buy the cheapest stock available.

Showing your home to prospective purchasers can be stressful enough, but children add an extra dimension, and their needs should be considered.

Moving house might be logical and exciting for an adult, but the fear of the unknown can be upsetting for children. That room or corner of the garden that has been their special

We recently came across this poem about investing in property, and thought you might find it interesting. Once you have read it, and only then, take a look at the date of first publication. Makes you think!

“PROPERTY INFLATION”

I hesitate to make a list

Of all the countless deals I’ve missed.

Bonanzas that were

As the evenings begin to draw in, sellers should take stock of their property if they are to maximise their chances of securing an early sale. Buyer activity is traditionally very good at this time of year, but your property still needs to compete well if it is to sell readily. Here are some tips,

Most lessees (nb not tenants) have the statutory right to purchase the freehold of their building, called Collective Enfranchisement, under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002.

Such a purchase certainly has its appeal if your lease is beginning to look a little light – say 80 years or less. In this instance it may be

Many people whose property is on the market now would ideally like to move by Christmas, yet only those who are prepared to price realistically are likely to be successful.

Buyers who are currently active in the market are now getting increasingly keen to move before the end of the year and we have recently

Our last article considered some of the dangers associated with pricing your home in relation to other properties available for sale (ie those remaining unsold). This time we’ll look at pricing in relation to properties which have actually sold.

When considering what asking price to quote, common sense dictates that the price of other homes