If you are thinking of selling your property, one of the very first things you’d want to do is book a pre-sale appraisal service or also known as a house valuation. It’s important that you know how much you can sell your home for and it’s particularly beneficial to know prior to the house being put on the market what it is valued at and how you can maybe improve its value so that you can achieve your asking price easier.
With the help and knowledge of our property experts at online estate agency House Sales Direct, we have gathered some of the best and most helpful tips on how to prepare your home for the valuation process so that you get the most out of your sale.
1. Research Your Home’s Potential
In the essence of every preparation is the work you do on getting more knowledgeable and researching thoroughly. In this case, you could use the services that websites like Zoopla and Rightmove offer in order to get a rough idea about what your property is worth based on recently sold houses in your area. Their estimated values are normally pretty accurate and even estate agents use them initially so it’s worth having a look and getting an idea of what the market looks like at the minute.
2. Choose an Agent Wisely
Before choosing an estate agent to go with for your house sale, we’d recommend shopping around. What we mean is that you should evaluate your options carefully and make an informed decision about which estate agency to go with. Book in a few valuations with different agencies and as long as you have done your research beforehand, it will be easy for you to spot if someone is under- or over-valuing your house. Once you’ve conducted a couple of valuations you should be able to choose the agency that you trust the most with your house sale.
3. Declutter
Now that you’ve chosen the estate agent you want to go with, it’s time to make your house picture perfect and the starting point for achieving this is decluttering. One of the biggest problems when starting to prepare your home for a valuation is that there are too many things, making it look very cluttered and untidy even if it isn’t. Having said that, it’s vital that you get rid of items which are laying around and only keep a few. Sometimes less is more and it really does apply to this situation as well. Even though it may not seem as if it’s such a big deal, Cincinnati estate agents will also advise you to declutter because, estate agents will also advise you to declutter because they have seen from experience the impact that it has.
4. Take Care of The Exterior
As important as the interior of a house it, the outdoors is just as vital when it comes to valuing a property. Anything from curb appeal and the maintenance of the garden to the state of the front door are things which should not be neglected when preparing for your house valuation. These are the places which are seen first thing from the valuer and you would surely want to make a good first impression.
5. Be honest and realistic
While the valuer is the one determining their final estimate, people normally tend to exaggerate and over hype their properties. There is no point in doing so but what you could do is ask for rationale behind their reasoning for devaluing. It’s important to stay realistic about what you could potentially get rather than getting a high initial valuation and then have the property reduced significantly once it gets on the market.
6. Set the Scene
Consider all the small details which could contribute positively to your increased home value such as smells, aesthetics and light. What’s more, making sure the house is deeply cleaned, decluttered, the layout and furniture are not clashing, and the temperature is welcoming are some of the factors that could make a small but significant difference. It might be worth doing some DIY projects around the house to improve its value as well. For instance, upgrading your loose hardware such as door handles and kitchen cabinet knobs can be easily and inexpensively done but it will give you a better chance at a higher valuation.
7. Set Enough Time
Property valuations normally last around an hour or more depending on the size of the house, which is why you should allow yourself enough time to go over everything with your valuer. You wouldn’t want to rush it and end up getting an inaccurate figure at the end! What’s more, doing that will allow you to spare some time to ask questions.
Preparation is key and even though estate agents can help you through the process of selling your house, there are a number of things that you can do prior in order to secure a fast and unproblematic sale. Be organised, give yourself enough time to prepare yourself for the valuations and it is highly likely that you will achieve your ideal asking price.
This article was written by an online estate agent House Sales Direct. If you wish to sell house fast and for free, then head over to the House Sales Direct website for more property related information and enquiries.
