A step-by-step guide to selling your house
1. Outline your finances
2. Prepare the house for sale
3. Know your value
4. Know your next steps
5. Decide how to sell

“How can I sell my house fast?” Talk to our property specialists for more information today!

If you’ve been thinking about selling your house and want to know more before you get started, you’re in the right place. We Buy Any House are here with a step-by-step guide, giving you all the information you need in regards to the selling process and some top tips to sell your house fast. 

1. Outline your finances

Often, there are costs that get forgotten about when homeowners sell, especially if there is still a mortgage to pay off. Some lenders will have an early payment fee in place that can cost anywhere between 1-5% of the remaining amount, which can be a huge cost if you suddenly need to factor this in.

Before you sell, do your research and be aware of all of the hidden costs that come with buying and selling a house, such as –

• Surveyor’s fees
• Mortgage arrangement fees
• Early repayment mortgage fees
• Solicitor’s fees

• Conveyancing fees – for more information read our article What is Conveyancing?
• Estate agent fees
• Redecoration costs to prepare the house for sale
• Moving costs

Selling a house can cost some homeowners as much as £10,000 so you will need to factor this into your plan to avoid any nasty surprises.

2. Prepare the house for sale

When you decide to sell, it’s a good idea to spend some time getting the property ready to sell. There are a few ways that you can do this –

• Redecorating:

  This can be altered according to any budget, and we’ve got some helpful ideas in our article how can I redecorate my house on a budget? here.

• Decluttering:

  Not only will this help your house look more organised and entice viewers but will reduce the amount you own and make packing for your move easier! Our tips on decluttering will help you.

• Staging:

  Especially for your advertising photos and any viewings, staging your house will make the world of difference and can help you sell your house fast. We’ve got an article how can I stage my house for viewings? here.

• Increasing kerb appeal:

  Houses with more kerb appeal gain the most viewings, and more viewings mean a higher chance of selling. There are plenty of options on how you can increase your kerb appeal, which are outlined in this article, how can I increase kerb appeal?

Some homeowners aren’t in a position to spend time doing these, or they simply don’t want to. That’s where we come in, as we buy any home in any condition!

3. Know your value

When it comes to selling, being aware of your property value and ensuring that your asking price is right is key to achieving your sale.

Get a free cash offer in less than 60 minutes!

There are two big mistakes that you can make when you set your asking price; setting it too high or setting it too low.

Asking price too high:

If you put your asking too high you will put potential buyers off, especially when they can see that there are houses similar to yours in the surrounding area for a lower price. This can result in your property sitting on the market for months on end, which will then cause your property value to drop.

Asking price too low:

You may think that going too low is a better outcome as it will increase interest in your house, but if you go too low you will usually spark some suspicions in potential buyers who will assume there is something wrong with the property, reflected in the price. Houses with structural problems like subsidence are priced low to factor in the cost of repairs, and a lot of buyers don’t want to deal with that sort of work so will be put off right away. Even though your house may be structurally sound, picking the wrong price will put off your buyers.

4. Know your next steps

This sounds like an obvious one, but sometimes it’s the simplest steps that get missed out and can cause problems. If you’re planning to upsize, you need to know how much you can afford to sell for and what you can borrow for your mortgage before you progress. If you’re wanting to relocate, knowing more about living costs in your new area will determined if you can afford to live there comfortably or if you’ll need to reconsider.

For homeowners who are downsizing or selling a house that they’ve inherited, you may decide that your selling price can be more negotiable as you’re not relying as heavily on the sale sum. This can help you when you’re considering offers as you’ll likely be more flexible than someone who needs their full sale price but is important that you’re thinking ahead and know what you can and can’t accept.

5. Decide how to sell

While it isn’t always taken into account, there are multiple ways that homeowners can sell their houses and knowing more about each of them can help you decide which is the best option for you.

• Selling with an estate agent.

  This is considered the traditional sale method and is the most common option that homeowners take. With this route, you’ll need to pay agent fees which can be as high as 5%, and the average sale takes over 6 months.

• Auctions.

  An option that homeowners will often gloss over but is a perfect solution for those wanting to sell quickly with little emotional attachment to the property. These sales are riskier as you won’t know the amount you’re able to sell for; some may get lucky and have buyers initiate a bidding war on the house which raises the price, but this is fairly rare. We’ve got more information here in our article should I sell my house at an auction?

• Quick sale companies.

  Selling this way is a balance between the previous options, as it allows you to sell your house quickly but with more control. Here at We Buy Any House, we have no fees and we even pay the legal costs!

No matter why you’re looking to sell or the condition of your property, we’re here to help. We buy any home and can provide you a free cash offer, showing you how you could sell in as little as 7 days or in a timeframe to suit you! Get in touch with We Buy Any House today!

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