Comparable sales

Looking at comparable sales is a good way to estimate what your property will sell for in the current market. Comparable sales are homes the are close to yours, of similar size and quality. You may want to visit open homes of these similar properties to see how many buyers are showing up and how it compares to your home. When an agent does an appraisal on your property, they will use comparable sales and comparable properties on the market to form their opinion of what your property is worth.

Preparing your home for sale

A well-presented home is always going to sell better than a poorly presented one.

  1. Clean it - probably one of the cheapest ways to get your property ready for sale.
  2. Declutter and tidy up - buyers want to see your home, not all the stuff in it. A decluttered home always looks bigger and this includes cupboards, as serious buyers will want to look at how much storage a house has. If they open a cupboard only to see it overflowing, it screams ‘not enough storage’.
  3. Fix it – you know all those jobs you have been putting off, do them now! No one wants a long list of jobs when they move into a new home. Consider a fresh coat of paint in a neutral colour while you are at it.
  4. The outside – you need buyers to want to get out of their cars and view your home. If the home they're pulling up at appears to be unloved or uncared for, you may put buyers off before you even get them through the door.

Pets and Open Homes

Ideally pets should be removed for open homes. There is a risk that with many people entering and leaving the property through various doors that the pet could get out and no matter how cute and well trained your pet is, it can still put some buyers off the property.

Questions to Ask When Listing Your Home

  • Can you tell me about similar properties in the area?
  • What are the challenges of my home? What are its strengths?
  • Is the area growing or declining?
  • How many clients / properties are you currently representing? What experience do you have?
  • Do you work solo or part of a team?
  • How will you market my property? Who is it aimed at?
  • How do your fees work?
  • How will you keep me informed?