Moving Home Mortgage Advice in Bristol for Home Movers
So you are looking at moving home in Bristol and you want to take another step up the property ladder, however, before you take the leap, you need to think about getting your existing home put up onto the market and sold.
When you have finally sold your current home, the equity in it (the amount at which you sell for minus your current mortgage balance) will be used for your deposit for your next purchase. You can top up this total as much as you want from savings or a family gift.
A seller will always have a minimum asking price for their property, however, most of the time they are willing to hear out other offers. The way that a home is marketed and presented will play a big factor in terms of how easily it sells. So, from a buyer and sellers viewpoint, you’re going to need to do some research about moving home. Let’s start with how to how to sell your home quickly:
Sell Your Home Quickly in Bristol
Asking Price
When choosing your asking price, you need to pick a price that is reasonable for the local area. Don’t start it at an unreasonable price; just because the estate agent has told you the property’s highest potential sale price doesn’t mean that it will get sold at that price.
Within the first couple of weeks of your listing, you want to attract as much attention off potential buyers as you can. If you are struggling to gain interest in your property, it is probably because your asking price is too high.
If you have already found a home that you are interested in making an offer on but you are still living within your current house, you will need to try and get a quick sale. That’s exactly why a fair asking price is a great way to start your home moving journey.
How Does it Look From the Outside
We have been working as a mortgage broker in Bristol for over 20 years now, and when we look at a property, one of the first things that we see is how the property looks from the outside. Making your home look appealing from the outside is your best way to engage buyers. Remember, this is your first impression, so you need to be aware of how your home looks from the outside.
Sometimes, it’s as simple as having a freshly jet-washed drive and a neatly cut front lawn. This shows that you really look after your home and you want people to be impressed by it. This may also get people to think that the interior of your home will also provide that “feel-good factor”.
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. So, to improve your chances of selling your home quickly, you should try and make your house have a great “kerbside appeal”.
How Does it Look From the Inside
Before you open your house up for viewings, you need to do the one thing that everyone hates… Tidying! In order for the viewer to feel welcome and comfortable inside your home, you need to make sure that your house is clean and tidy.
Remove any clutter that is lying around, especially from the front of the property. When your viewer walks in, you want them to feel like the place has been looked after. This could be from making sure that your doorbell works to buying a new doormat.
Once your hallway has been sorted, you need to go around your house room by room. You should pay extra attention to your kitchen and bathroom as these are some of the most important parts of a house. Cupboards and wardrobes should be neatly stacked and free of clutter. If you are a smoker sometimes the smell of smoke can linger, so it may be an idea to give the house a good airing before your potential buyer arrives. Remove anything that you think has a smokey smell about it.
All interior doors should be painted and their brass fixtures should be checked and polished to ensure that they can open and close smoothly.
Make sure that each room is well lit too, make sure to open all curtains and blinds in darker rooms. Your home should feel nice and warm but not too hot. All lightbulbs should be tested before the viewing to see if they are working. Despite what people claim about “baking bread” smells, this is corny and old-fashioned, ensure there are no cooking smells lingering whatsoever.
Let Them Feel at Home
It could be hard, but you will need to try and avoid having your children or pets getting in the way whilst your viewers are walking around your house. You want them to feel as relaxed as possible.
Another good way to help them feel at home is to put out some family pictures or paintings to decorate the house a little bit. It’s just another friendly reminder that this is a family home.
You should also let them explore on their own, don’t crowd them too much as they will want to discuss between themselves too.
Make it Spotless
As mentioned before, your kitchen and bathroom should be completely spotless. Anything that isn’t in daily use should be put away. Your towels should be neatly stacked away and not left on hooks of the floor.
Make sure that you double-check everything too, your whole house needs to be cleaned from top to bottom. Make sure clothes are not lying around and the bedrooms have been dusted etc.
You should think about washing your curtains, blinds, wiping your walls and cleaning your floors and windows. All repairs should be up to date too and clean bedding on the beds. Windows should be sparkling clean inside and out.
Investing in carpets for smaller rooms can be an inexpensive way of impressing your viewer. Carpets make rooms welcoming and can show your viewer that the house is well looked after.
Make Space
People who are selling their home often don’t realise that having empty space is sometimes good. This is because it allows your potential buyer to personalise their home a bit more. For example, an empty wall in a bedroom could actually benefit you, the buyer now knows that they will be able to do whatever they want to it.
Anything that you are storing outside of cupboards should be put away or thrown away if not needed. This can save you a job anyway for when you move! Make lots of room on your kitchen worktops too and ensure that there are no pots lying about.
The Garden
A garden can be the deciding factor for many property viewers as it’s normally the last thing that the viewer sees. You need to make sure that there is no rubbish left outside or things clattered about. It’s important not to pile everything into your shed as more often than not, the viewer will request to see inside it.
Ensure that your fences have all of their slats properly in place and are freshly painted or creosoted. People love seeing colourful gardens, so even flowers could do the trick. Anything to liven up your garden could really help your out. Removing weeds and dead flowers, cutting the grass, removing grass clippings are all must-dos.
Be Yourself
People buy from people and your viewer also has a first impression on you so remember to be welcoming, honest and most importantly yourself. They are just one set of potential buyers at the end of the day, there will be plenty more.
Here’s a tip from us, create a balanced view on every problem that you have encountered with the house, for example, if you had a problem with a leak, say how you easily fixed it and that it’s very unlikely to happen in the future again.
Estate agents will want to earn their commission by talking to the property viewers as much as possible, however, you need to remember that no one knows as much about the house as you do, so don’t be afraid to jump in and tell them more.
Contact a Mortgage Broker in Bristol Today
Finally, remember the emotions attached to buying a home, as you could very well be selling to a first time buyer in Bristol. If you have a family it helps to accentuate it has been a happy home for you, this is sure to rub off on the viewers if they are thinking of raising a family also.
Date Last Edited: December 6, 2023
