Browsing category: Selling advice

  • March 27, 2017

    We don’t like Mondays!

    We don’t like Mondays

    WhichMoney? has just announced that Monday is the best day of the week to list a house with an agent, if you wish to sell that house quickly. They analysed tens of thousands of homes sold in the UK in the previous 12 months and found those listed at the beginning of the week sold more quickly.

    The average house sold in 191 days, houses listed on the Monday sold, on average, in 176 days. If your house was listed on Saturday the average went up to 203 days and on Sundays, well 213 is your lucky number.

    But lets rewind. The average number of days to sell a house is 191 days! Wait, what? Here at Reside the average number of days it takes to sell a house is 61, it doesn’t matter which day we listed it, you’re house is selling in a third of the National average. It’s also selling a lot faster than the local agent’s average as well.

    So you don’t have to push us to get your house listed on a Monday, however with our average sale time the sooner you list your house, the sooner it will sell.

    As we always say we SELL HOUSES – 7 days a week.

    Call us now for your free, no obligation, professional valuation to get your house sold!

  • October 31, 2016

    Downsizing releases time and capital

    A recent ‘industry insider’ produced some startling figures about downsizing and the property market. The gist of the story was that if the Over-65s all downsized they could release £1.34 trillion of capital and increase housing stocks by 4.2 million houses. We are not sure how those figures stack up but it did get us thinking.

    As the saying goes, 50 is the new 40 – although try telling that to a Speed Camera – and many people don’t want to ‘move on’ just because they’ve reached a predetermined age. However, for some people it could be something to consider.

    As we agents are oft heard to say “your property could be worth more than you think”. This can be more pertinent to those over 60. They have often been in the house many years and usually it was the family home and so is large and therefore generally worth more.

    But the word downsizing can have negative connotations; it feels like you’re coming to the end of your days and that you’re ready for pipe and slippers when in actual fact for many downsizing that isn’t the case at all. For many it brings a new lease of life, with new horizons and new directions.

    We’ve known people who have downsized and used the capital they have released to buy a small property overseas so they can spend winters in the sun. Or some have invested in a motorhome and travelled round Europe.

    It also doesn’t mean that you have to move from a 6 bed detached to a one bed studio apartment – although that maybe the perfect solution for some. Even something as simple as considering another area in the town could see you in a house not much smaller, so still room for the family to come and stay, yet still releasing capital.

    The age of the property could also be a factor. You maybe in a Period or character property which often hold more value than a similarly sized ‘new build’ house. So if you are in that position you could consider moving to something of similar size and still releasing equity.

    That brings us on neatly to our other point that you can save time. No matter what house or who you are, houses take time to look after. The bigger and/or older the house, often the more time they take. They can often cost more for ‘like for like’ repairs as well, as old things often have to be replaced not repaired.

    Simply moving to a new or newer house can cut down on the time you spend on the house, to give you more time to get out of the house. You could go the whole hog and moved to serviced apartments where most of it is done for you – though there’s usually a cost to that.

    If you change the word downsizing for restructuring – a favoured word from the business world when they are downsizing to release more capital – then it can make sense for an awful lot of people, regardless of their circumstances.

    If this has made you think then why not give us a call to chat through your options. Not only can we give you a free market appraisal of your house and value but as one of the leading agents in Rochdale we are well placed to give you best advice about your moving options.

    Call us now and speak with Jason and you could be spending winters in the sun sooner than you think.
    www.reside.agency/contact-us

  • September 21, 2016

    Top 5 quick fixes to make your house more saleable

    Before you start selling your house on the market there are many, often simple, changes and fixes you can make to increase the saleablity of your property. Often these are things with which you may have lived for years, always just about to get around to, and they can increase the chance of selling your house.

    The following are five quick fixes that you could complete in a couple of days, with minimum expense for the most part. Not only will these give your house more kerb appeal they may add value as well.

    Let’s start outside as these are the things that prospective buyers will see first when they turn up to view.

    Garden
    Often gardens get overlooked when you are coming to sell your house, especially if you are selling during autumn or winter. Even a quick run over with a lawn mower, getting the hedge trimmer and the strimmer out can pay dividends. First impressions count.

    Windows
    Whilst we outside dirty windows can be really off-putting, not only do they suggest the house has been neglected but they also make the interior darker, Light bright rooms are a big turn on for buyers, more critical during the darker months. If the windows are too much for you find a local window cleaner – we can help you there as we have a bank of reliable, trustworthy tradespeople.

    Carpets
    People look down when they walk or when they enter somewhere unknown, this means they look straight down at your floor. If your carpet is stained or worn – maybe you have pets or teenage boys [they’re much the same when it comes to making a mess] – then your first port of call is a local carpet cleaners. If they can’t help you then replacing the carpet will help create a great impression.

    Wall coverings
    Again nothing is more off putting yet easy to fix than peeling wallpaper and cracked or dirty wall tiles. No one is suggesting you should redecorate from top to bottom but repairing peeling paper or damaged tiles can increase the appeal of your property. If you do repaper choose something fairly simple and not too trendy. Consider repainting instead of papering and paint in neutral colours.

    If your tiles are looking a bit past their best it’s often down to the grouting. It’s a fairly simple task to re-grout and can really lift old tiles. If you need to replace some then it maybe time to get a professional in but it will pay dividends when selling your house.

    Kitchen
    In our modern busy lives the kitchen is often the hub of the household. It’s where we meet, eat and often socialise, so it is definitely the one room that needs to be immaculate. This doesn’t mean you have to replace the units and work surfaces. It is the chance to declutter, tidy and do a little staging [we can help you with that] to make the best impression. If the units are looking a little tired they can often be spruced up by new handles of a lick of paint, easy jobs to really lift your house.
    As we said they’re not particularly big jobs nor are they too expensive but they will make your house more presentable and lift the chances of quick and profitable sale.

    If you are looking to sell or rent your property, give us a call or click here for a free and professional appraisal and valuation of your house.

    Give your house the Reside Effect.

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