Let’s face it, every home owner wants to sell their home for the best price. As a property photographer I don’t think that I’ve met a seller yet who doesn’t! There are several things you can do to maximise your sale price, and even go above and beyond your asking price. Property prices are determined by a simple formula; supply vs demand. Create enough demand and you’ll have people putting in higher offers, or even create the elusive ‘bidding war’.
With many years of property photography experience and several years working as an estate agent, here are my secrets to help you to sell your home for the very best price. Here are my five best tips to help you sell your property for more than the asking price:
- Professional photos are a must – with all buyers now turning to either Rightmove or Zoopla to search for their next property, buyers are making their minds up in a matter of minutes whether to view your property. They’ll be judging your property based on your Rightmove listing, and let’s face it, a huge weighting is placed on the property photos – it’s the first thing that everyone looks at. Bearing that in mind, professional quality photography is simply essential. When choosing your estate agent, check out the standard of their photography first – average looking photos simply aren’t going to get the buyers through the door. Better still, you could invest in your own set of professional photos.
2. Property Presentation – buyers are renowned for having very little imagination when it comes to viewing a property, and even if they think they can see past your clutter – subconsciously they probably still can’t. I’m a property photographer and property investor, and even I struggle at times! It’s a simple fact that well-presented properties sell for more than those that are poorly presented or cluttered. Not only does it improve your property photos, but it’ll also give a much better impression once you get the potential buyers through the door. The top three things I would recommend are; de-cluttering, giving your property a really deep clean and giving your property a lick of paint before you put it on the market. You could also invest in the help of a professional property stylist aka a home stager.
3. Choose a motivated, modern estate agent – the quality of your estate agent will of course have a bearing on the success of your property sale. A motivated agent takes that little bit of extra time over your property details, which will get you more people through the door. They’ll ensure that all enquiries are converted in to viewings, will keep you updated and will do a great job of the viewings too. Pick someone who’s likeable, honest, trustworthy and that you get along with. Are they passionate about what they do? Don’t just pick an agent based on their valuation, pick the one that’s going to fight to get you the best possible price. Have a look at their other listings online – how modern are they? How creative and how forward-thinking?
4. Social media – estate agents are using social media more and more when it comes to selling properties. Most buyers are likely to be on Facebook and Instagram, so reach them where they hang out the most – on social media. You can reach a vast audience via the power of Facebook and Instagram.
5. Timing – also critical is the time of year you choose to put your property on the market. Why would you want to hold your open day when hardly any buyers are looking? It’s a no brainer to me – think about the type of property you have and choose the time of year accordingly. Or better still, if you’re not sure then ask me I’m happy to help – there’s a right time for each every different type of property – when is yours?
What to read next: ‘Does professional photography really matter?’
What to do next: If you enjoyed reading this blog post and would like more of the same, then you can find me on Instagram @westgarthangela
Speak to Angela: If you’re thinking about putting your home on the market or are currently struggling to sell, then I’ll gladly give you a free Rightmove review. Just email me at angela@angelawestgarth.co.uk
