When one chapter ends, another one begins. This phrase can be applied to selling your first house and moving on to a new home. The first home is often an individual’s chance to own a space.
Last year, the UK housing market saw over 370,000 first-time buyers move into their first homes. Whilst many of those featured in this statistic might not have plans to move anytime soon, those who invested in their first home a few years ago might be ready for the next step. Climbing the property ladder and moving onto a bigger home or one in a new area is an exciting chapter.
However, it can be difficult to navigate, especially as it is the first time selling a house. Are you about to prepare your first home for the market?
If so, keep reading as we share tips and tricks for selling your first home and climbing the property ladder.
Choose The Right Conveyancer
Something you might have learned when buying your first home is the importance of the right conveyancer. The specialist you choose to help you handle the legal aspects of buying a home can make a noticeable impact on the entire process. Understandably, you want someone experienced, reliable and punctual. All these factors combined can help be a tremendous help when selling your first home.
After your experience with the previous conveyancer, you may choose someone different. It is worthwhile comparing conveyancing quotes until you find the one most suitable for you. Consider using a site like Compare My Move to find conveyancing quotes from different providers. With this selection of conveyancing quotes, you can spend extra time deciding on the right one.
Put Yourself In The Buyers Position
As you begin cleaning and organising your home to be valued and placed on the market, consider walking through the home as if it was your first time. Look for any issues, such as a cupboard door not being properly fitted, and ensure that these are fixed before potential buyers come to visit. While fixing any issues, consider giving the walls a fresh coat of paint. Painting the walls with a fresh coat might not increase the value tremendously, but it can help the property feel cleaner and more spacious – appealing qualities potential buyers will remember.
Don’t forget about the exteriors! First impressions count, and if the outside of your home has overgrown hedges, uncut grass and litter on the pathway, a potential buyer’s expectations for the property’s interiors might be set low. Once you are happy with the exterior, you can move on to the interior. Of course, cleaning and freshening up your home is a time-consuming task. However, it could help to influence a potential buyer’s decision.
Consider The Time To Move
When putting your home on the market, you want to ensure that you are doing so when it is more likely to sell quickly, and for the value it is estimated at. Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer for the best time to sell your home and move up the property ladder, as the market constantly changes. However, the Spring months have been said to be one of the best times to sell a property. This is because properties, in the past, have often sold far quicker in comparison to those sold in the winter months. It is easy to speculate the reasons for this, such as thinking the weather could be an influencing factor, but it is impossible to say for certain.
If you are looking to put your property on the market, keep in mind that real estate agents want business. As such, they are more likely to encourage you to move forward with your decision to sell your property. However, if it is not the right time, you are more than welcome to delay your decision until it is an ideal time to sell your home. An additional bonus of staying in your first property for longer is that it helps you save a little extra.
Moving On Up
Once the i’s are dotted and t’s crossed, the excitement of selling your first home and moving on to your next one intensifies. This is when the reality begins to settle in, and planning for the move takes over.
Understandably, you will be finding as much help as possible and using tips on how to pack your belongings when moving house. Using these will help to reduce the stress of the process, and the above can assist in preparing your home before you reach the stage of moving out.
As the sale goes through and the keys have been exchanged, you can move one step up the property ladder and onto the next chapter of your life.