SELLING YOUR HOUSE...BETTER AND FASTER

It's a competitive market, so as a serious seller, you'll want to spruce up your home to make it as appealing as possible. We've compiled 5 ways to give your property its best chance of a successful sale.

We all know that the property market moves in cycles. Currently in Kwazulu-Natal - according to research by the FNB Property Barometer - the average length of time your property will stay on the market is 85 days. For you, this market means you need to ensure your property presents itself at its best, and that you do your utmost to assist the sale and your property sales consultant. Here are 5 tried-and-tested actions worth taking as a serious seller.

1. Easy access to view your property. Viewing of your property is key, and the more flexible you are about viewing times, the better the chance that 'that' person will walk through your home and fall in love. You may not like a Show House, be keen on a viewing when only your helper is at home, or enjoy after-hours viewings...but each of these presents a viewing opportunity for those for whom available time is limited. Don't miss out on a potential buyer.

If you have a tenant in your property, do your best to arrange a couple of fixed viewing times per week. The terms of the tenant's lease will obviously come first. 

2. Tidy up, declutter, do your maintenance and repairs. You'll have heard this time and time again, but it's more important now than ever. Realistically, most people can't see potential beyond clutter. They can't visualise themselves entertaining on your untended lawn or doing their woodwork in a packed garage. They don't see one small damp spot, they see a damp problem; they don't see a small paint job, they see repainting the house. Not only is poor maintenance off-putting to most, but it also provides those who can see beyond, with a golden opportunity to put in a cheeky offer. Before you put your property on the market - and even while it is on the market - keep maintaining, repairing, and tidying.

3. Make your property feel like a home...but not necessarily yours

Prospective buyers want to visualise THEMSELVES in your home. Create the scene for them into which they can put themselves:  the outdoor patio with cushions on the furniture, the spotless braai, the clean surface of the kitchen counters, the gleaming pool...and pare down too many family photographs, dog blankets and kennels, and school notices and magnets on the fridge.

Give them space to dream. 

4. Price - the ELEPHANT in the room. Do some research. That's the key to pinpointing the right price for your home. It's not what you need or want, but what the market will pay. Your chosen property sales consultant will guide you as to what he or she (together with experienced colleagues) believes the market will pay, but you, too, can do your own investigation - make yourself comfortable that the market assessment is as accurate as possible. Ask your sales consultant what similar homes in your area sold for. Don't confuse property asking prices, with the price they sold for. Don't look at last year's property sales, you need current market value.

It's important not to over-inflate the price of your property - it rarely bears fruit. Be a serious seller with an appealing, accurate price. A new property on the market, priced right, could beat the current statistics - but one that's been on the market and is constantly had price reductions to reach a realistic price, has often lost that honeymoon phase of buyers who've now bought elsewhere.

5. The right sales consultant. Your choice of sales consultant is crucial. You want a qualified professional, somebody with whom you have a rapport, who will be honest with you - even if it's things you don't want to hear - who regularly provides all client feedback, good and not so good - who sends you market information and new comparable properties for sale, and who you know always has your property and interests front of mind.

Somebody on your team, who isn't tiptoeing around you, but doing a superb job of marketing to the right people, bringing through the right people, and ultimately selling your property at a market related price. That's why you chose them - so choose well.