Try to be Different

There are alot of nice looking fittings you can buy for all areas of your home, from the bathroom to the kitchen. The issue with most of these is that they look pretty but are not usually very good at doing the job in hand, remembering that developing your house is quite an easy task.

Most of the designer bathroom sinks, either dont hold water or splash water everywhere. So you need to ask yourself if you really want to change the fittings to ones that just dont work.

On the face of it this may not seem like an issue, the problem is that as these fittings are widely available and the chances are the people looking to buy your house have seem these fittings in the stores, and know that they are not what they try to be. Take most modern kitchens they look great but when you get down to the quality, they just dont have it. Most of them are made up of chipboard, and other poor quality materials. Since these units are available everywhere and most designs look the same, you need to ask yourself.

Do you really want your house to follow the crowd? or Do you want it to be different?

Try to buy fittings that are aware for the normal ones, and if you can afford it buy better quality fitings. This will help you house be ahead of the game and stand out from the crowd. You will also get every penny back you spend, so you have nothing to lose.

Remember being different is a good thing, and if you are looking for a different place to buy your next home, check out your local foreclosure listings or if you are thinking of taking the plunge into the whole real estate and property investing arena, keep to the be different motto.

Dont get tied to your estate agent

When it comes to selling your house you can use an estate agent, and most estate agents will have some sort or tie in. This simply means that you must sell your house through them for a minimum period, and if you sell it through anyone else in that period they still get a commission, or you can sell it yourselves and save hundreds of pounds in the process.

Now there is a big mistake that most people make when choosing an agency, and this is that a lot of people choose a Sole Seller agreement and not a Sole Agency agreement.

The different is simple

Sole Seller Agreement - You dont want this one

A Sole Seller agreement is one which states that you will only use that agency to sell your property, and they are representing you as a seller of your property, this means that if you sell through anyone else during the tie-in period you will still have to pay them a commission.

Sole Agency Agreement - This is the one you want

A Sole Agency agreement difers from the sole seller as this one states that you are only going to use one agency to sell your property during the tie in period. This is the type of agreement you want, that is if you have to be tied in with an agency. This type of agreement means you can sell your house yourself, this allows you to advertise or sell your house privately, using online services such as BuzzProperties.co.uk to sell your house, without having to pay an agency any fees at all if you sell your house yourself.

So in closing, make sure that you get the right agency and the right agreement, after all with the increased amount of house sales privately, adn increased number of sales options, being tied in can be a problem. So make sure that if you have to get tied in make sure its a sole agency agreement NOT a sole seller agreement.

Dont Use Too Many Estate Agents

When you are selling your house it is too tempting to dilute the interest by using multiple agencies, this fits into the tie in agreement a lot of agencies have. When you are trying to sell your house look around at the agencies and find the one that is best for your house.

This may be an online agency such as BuzzProperties.co.uk or one of the many high street agencies, in any case you want to use a specialist agency, and not simply put your house in every agency.

Think of it this way, you go to a supermarket for food, a garage for petrol and so on. Do the same with your house look at the agencies, and if you are selling a country house, use a specialist agent, just the same as if your selling a house in the town. Choose as few agents as possible, as this will help you retain value in your house, as if people see your house is for sale in several agents its a clear sign that its not selling, and opens you up to price negotiations.

So think of it this way the current UK planning regulations are the way they are for a reason, only have 2 or less for sale signs outside your house, not only looks better, but helps you get a better price for your house.

So spend time finding the right agent, instead of using every agent.

Quality of Work - Dont Do It Yourself

One of the most important things that people want to buy is quality.

This goes for everything in your home, from floors to walls, inside and out. If you are a competent Do It Yourselfer thats fine, but remember people are paying for your house. So its worth getting some jobs done by a professional if you are just not competent.

If we look at tiling as an example, look at the picture below









This a a classic example of bas tiling, you can clearly see the tiles are not inline, and in a whole bathroom thiss effect is magnified by multiple errors.

Don't Do It YourSelf

So if you are not competent at doing a task, where it is jsut repainting a room, to laying a new carpet. Then get someone else to do it.This fits with other tips, in that although decorating or replacing carpets will not add any value to your house, it will help it sell. So you will get any money back you put into your house, so go nuts.

Quality Sells

People will buy quality so making your house stand out from the crowd is extremely important, making it as close to a show home is vital , especially when the house is one of the largest purchases people will ever make, they are willing to pay for quality.

So look around your house and be honest with yourself, if you cant do something to a high standard, get someone else to do it.

Saleable or Added Value

One of the biggest misunderstandings when it comes to selling your house is in what makes it more saleable and what actually adds value to the property.





In most cases you are trying to sell your hosue, and will get taken in by companies stating such things as "it will increase your property value", normal terms are thrown around a lot by builders and windows / conservatory companies.

Ok so you may be think that why won't a new conservatory add value to my house. Simple if the conversatory costs your £5000 you will only be able add this amount to your house, and in truth you are only going to get your money back. This goes the same for replacing windows and doors, and even new kitchens and bathrooms.

So Why Would I Bother?

You are probably asking yourself, why would you spend money adding a conversatory or putting in new windows or bathroom, if you are only going to get your money back.

SIMPLE

It makes your house more saleable that is "capable of being sold, fit to be sold". This means that you will be able to sell your house quicker, and it can set it apart from other house. As if your house is the only house in the street with new windows, a conversatory it will sell better than the other houses.

Adding things to your house can save a lot of time in the overall sale process, letting you move on to your new home and get on with your life.

What's an Addition and Whats an Improvement?

If you are trying to sell your house you need to decide what you want to do, Do you want to try to increase the value or do you want to make it easier to sell.

Remember a higher price is not always better!

Keep the two things in mind, improvements and additions. Basically speaking these are defined as

Improvements - Anything you add to your home such as

• New Kitchen
• New Bathroom
• New Windows and Doors
• New Conservatory
• Anything else that does not directly change the structure of your house

Improvments will not add value to your house, other than the cost of the addition, they will make your house more saleable and easier to sell
Additions - Anything that you add to the structure of your home such as

• Building a new extension
• Converting the loft into a room
• Anything else that changes the structure of your house.

Additions will add value to your home provided it is the right addition, such as making a 2 bedroom house into a 3 bedroom house, larger kitchen, etc.
So keep in mind a simple rule, if it costs more money chances are it will add real value to your house. And anything that changes the house from the way you bought it will increase its value. If what you are doing does not alter the house from how you bought it, it will make it easier to sell but not for a higher price.

A Higher Price is Not Always Better

What is more valuable to you your time or a few extra pounds?

It may seem ideal to get the highest price for your house, but is getting the higher price really the best option, think of it this way if you go to an agency and they over value your house not only can it take longer to sell but it can in fact, stop it from selling altogether.

After all if there are similar houses in the same street for sale, and your house is up for sale for the highest price, it has to be exceptional and if not it will not sell. This means that you cant move to your new home as quck as you would like, which takes up more of your time. Just by waiting for the house to sell.

So remember do you really want to over-value your house to gain a few extra pounds, or would you rather be selling it quicker for a lower price and same tons of time.

Use the Right Agency

We all know that when you sell your house you are going to use an agency. Try to think beyond the traditional agency, is the first rule.

1. Use local press
2. Use internet property websites, such as www.buzzproperties.co.uk
3. Use local agencies
4. Use property consultants

Now as you can see from this short list the options are endless when it comes to selling your home.

It is simple to want to sell your house but not simply to get the right agency, after all agencies are traditionally made up of people and if these people are not up to the job then your house sale will suffer.

Try to think about your own experience of agencies from the otherside when you have been buyer your house, or when you were renting. Which agency treated you right? If you can think of a particular agency that you were happy using, then why not let them sell your house.

Too often agencies do not want to earn a living and are either very rude, don't understand what they should, or are just plain lazy. So try to choose wisely, as the right agency can sell your house, and not just for more money but quicker.

At the end of the day its your house, so if you don't fell confident in the agency, then make use of the other options to sell your house, such as services offered by www.buzzproperties.co.uk or local property consultants. The options today are endless.

Just remember choosing the right agency can make your property sale a whole lot easier.

Don't Forget to Sell The House

This tip may sound straight forward but, so often when people are moving house they tend to forget they are trying to sell the house, and that they in fact bought it in the first place.

When you are showing potential buyers around your house, make sure you point out the good points. Dont get too in depth about why you are moving, after all moving comes in all shapes and sizes, from increased family size, to moving abroad.

So don't go into why you are selling the house. Go into the reasons why people should buy the house.

Remember your house can't speak for itself, so its up to you to speak for your house and make the sale.

Sell your area

Remember that people buy house to live in, not just to look at.

Try to keep this little fact in mind and make a big deal about what is in your local area. This goes for all your listing with estate agents, or if you are selling privately, remember to mention that you are close to a local school, or on a bus route.

Just try to think about the things in your area that you use everyday, thsi may be the local pub or it may be taking your kids to the local park.

Remember that people will want to live in your house, buy they don't want to be only in the house.

It may be that you have a great country walk near your house, or you may have a nice river that runs near your house. All these factors will help your house to sell.

Just remember your house is based somewhere, and try to think back to what make you buy it in the first place.

Keep on top of it

It is so easy to only keep your house looking nice when you actually know that people are coming to view it. Remember that most people who are going to buy a house will take a look around the area and at the house before actually visiting the inside.

This means that people will seen your house before you know they are actually looking, after all anyone can see the for sale sign in your front garden, and will know its for sale.

It is the same principle when trying sell anything, a little bit of effort can go a long way.

So in short when you have your house on the market, try to keep it looking its best at all times. So keep the grass cut, this applies even in winter, keep the windows clean, and generally keep your front of house and curb appeal at the best all of the times.

Don't Ignore the Bedrooms

Most people move house due to the lack of number or the size of the bedrooms in their current home, it is estimated that this figure is as high as 60% of all people who move do so because of bedrooms. Whether they are a growing family or a down-sizing one, the bedroom element is going to play an important part in their buying decision.

So when it comes to selling your house and getting the maximum return concentrate on the bedrooms, and if this means spending some money adding an extension to add a bedroom, it is worth it.

A simple rule of thumb is that adding a bedroom will help your house sell, a lot more than a study or playroom will. So when it comes to selling your house, remember make sure that all bedrooms have a bed in them, even if this means giving up your study for a few weeks. Its worth it.

Another point to remember is that its adults that are buying the house not the children, they will be interested in their needs. This comes in two ways.

1. Making the most of the master bedroom, after all this will be a sanctuary away from the kids for the new buyer with a family. So make it nice, new carpets, new curtains, new bedding will all help to sell this room and what great is you get to take it all with you (that is except the carpet)
2. Remember that people have families, so try to maximise the rooms for what they may be used for. Make the kids room look large enough for kids to play in, or the teenagers room cool enough even for the fussiest teenager.

Try to remember that people send a third of their lives sleeping and they want a nice relaxed place to do it. So spend extra time and effort on your bedrooms, and if this means spending some extra cash, do it, as most things you buy will simply be taken to your new house with you.

Accessorise

Using the right accessories can enhance your rooms. Use Mirrors to reflect light and space, and use plants and fresh flowers to bring life to rooms and add a natural fragrance.

Loads of different floor coverings will make any area seem smaller. If you can't stretch to replacing all your flooring, close the doors on the other rooms until showing each room in turn.

Also remember it is worth while spending a little money on purchasing nice furnishings, even though these will go with you when you move. Simply improvements can mean buying a throw to cover that old sofa, or adding a few extra cushions.

Lighting

Make sure you have adequate lighting in every room, use subtle mood lighting to create the right atmosphere in each room and check all your bulbs work.

This tip fits right in with our last one, it just takes it a step further. Lighting can help you define and make areas of your home feel more relaxed.

The very simple rule to play with lighting is to firstly thing of the type of lighting to use, the lighting must fit with the area its for. For example putting down lighters in the kitchen or under counter lighting fits well, or nice wall lighting in the hall. The next thing to remember is the type of light produced, try to think of your house as a home. Don't make the living room too bright, think how you would like. Well on most cases, if you like sitting in the dark, its a safe bet that others wont.

So whilst in everyday life you can do what you want, if you want to sell you house make sure its light and a nice place to be, and all lights serve a useful purpose.

Define each area

Buyers need to know what each room is for, so that they can decide where they
will place their own items. Sell the lifestyle and you'll sell your house.

This simply means that if you have a long dining room and living room, define the spaces. Make the dining room look like the dining room, make the living room look like a nice relaxed area.

One major mistake people make with their houses, is to neglect the outside space. Try to change your mindset on what you garden is for. Try to think of the garden as an extension of your living space, this is especially true is your house is not too large. Make the garden into another room.

It may sound daft to have your garden furniture setup, but have the garden setup as it woudl be when you are using it. No matter what the weather. Remember your garden is another room in your home and should have defined areas, just like everywhere else.

So if you have kids toys in the garden, make part of the garden a kid zone, make another part an adult zone. Don't clutter your garden full of kids toys, or anything else, whether that is old car parts, or anything else.

Remember - If something doesn't belong in a particular area of your home, move it.

Pets and unwanted nuisances

Always keep your pets under control, ideally have someone take them for the day.

Try confining them to a specific area. Although you may love your pets,
they can be off-putting to other people, and smells can be offensive, so
make sure there are no lingering odours in furniture or flooring, and if
there is, get them cleaned before you sell.

Make sure that there is no unwanted nuisances during the viewing. Whether its the kids playing loud music, the phone ringing off the hook, try to minimise the distractions during viewing, as you want the potential buyer to feel right at home.

Decorate and De-Personalize

This tip may sound daft, after all you are moving why would you decorate. Simple. Not only does it give the house a nice new look and feel, but it also create a better ambience for potential buyers.

Choose more neutral colours, such as white, beige, cream. as Neutral sells it's a fact.

Try to convey an image of quality and neutrality. Potential buyers walking through your home want to imagine themselves as the owners. If you use styles or colours they would never select, you've just turned them off. Stay high-quality, but neutral is safest.

Remove any personal items that may put off potential purchasers, such as religious or political items.

Make sure to leave some personal items, such as family pictures, as it is important to make the buyer aware of what a great home this is.

Use Technology

When selling your house think beyond the tradtional methods. Everyone likes to use whats available to them, and by using new technologies such as the internet you can not only reach alot more buyers but you can also show you house to more buyers.

There are lots of online services out there such as www.buzzproperties.co.uk and used in connection with other services offered by sites such as www.ourproperty.co.uk you can do everything yourself from valuing your home to the final sale.

Try to avoid being taken in by local agents, alot with promise to put your house on the internet by using nationally recoginsed websites. This is a mistake as the sales process is still the normal selling method and you get hit where it hurts, in your wallet.

So remember the high street is not the only place to sell your house

Eliminate Clutter

Clutter makes homes seem smaller and disorganized. (Have you ever noticed that the really expensive stores seem to have an expansive, clutter-free layout, while "cheap" stores are often a jumble of merchandise?).

Ask yourself is your house a cheap store or an expensive one.

Elimating clutter is really quite easy. Just put everything in its right place. Put toys in the toy box, put garden tools in the shed, and if necessary put the car in the garage.

When looking at removing clutter its a good time to think about what you really want to take to your new house, do you really need that extra table and chairs? do you really need to keep a years supply of your favourite magazines?

Remember one simple rule when eliminating clutter, if you have things that are not past their best, give them to charity. Your local charity shop is always asking for donation, so why not give your old table and chairs to charity, or your old clothes, just think not only will you be making your home a more saleable asset but you will get a warm fuzzy feeling inside.

If its broke. Fix it!

Got a dripping tap or a cracked tile? These will send the wrong message
to potential buyers. Getting all problems fixed before you put your
house on the market is a smart idea.

This might be something simple like tacking carpet back down, or repairing a loose door or fence post, up to getting that tap int he bathroom repaired or even replaced.

Remember repairing your home with not ass value to it, but it will make it easy to sell and for you to get the sale value you want.

Clean the House

You would not want to live in a dirty house, neither does anyone else.
Clean your house from top to bottom before putting on the market.

Having a weekly cleaning service while selling is probably a pretty
good investment.

Make sure your windows are clean inside and out too.

Front of House Appeal

You can only make one "first impression," and people usually form
their first impression within 30 seconds.

The front of your house is a good place to spend a little extra time and money.

Plant flowers, trim bushes, weed, pick up leaves, repaint your front door, replace tarnished house numbers or a dented mailbox, get a brand-new neutral doormat, park your old car somewhere else.