Online House Hunter: Sale time

Good news at last for the housing market

A FLURRY of positive headlines has dispelled the gloom that hung over the property market in the early months of this year.

“Number of homes for sale up 25%”, “Sellers returning to the property market” and “More homes go up for sale” said the wires as the National Association of Estate Agents produced their report for February.

The survey of estate agents showed a year on year rise of 25 per cent in the number of houses being put up for sale. And there was also a rise in the number of house hunters registering – the third consecutive monthly rise.

Any positive news is welcome at the moment but it’s tempered by government cuts and a possible rise in interest rates knocking public confidence.

Perhaps it is the arrival of spring and some early spring sunshine that is encouraging people to put their homes on the market. If so, there’s no shortage of advice or help on the internet about what to do to get your house ready. Some of it is rather ‘fluffy’ – make sure your house is tidy, fill the house with the smell of coffee or baking – but there’s also some more serious practical advice.

Property Expert Phil Spencer runs through some of the basics on home.co.uk including freshening up the house a fresh coat of paint, regrouting bathroom tiles and “strategically placed flowers” But there’s also some grittier advice such as getting three estate agents to value your home and not just falling for the old trick of the highest valuation.

Some of the most sensible advice comes form the citizens advice bureau website, adviceguide.org.uk covering all the key steps of putting your home on the market and accepting an offer.

But who better to ask for tips on how to sell your home than the estate agents themselves. They are best placed to give advice as they see each day what helps homes sell. The NAEA surveyed their members and came up with some cracking advice:

• First impressions comes top of the list – that means clearing up the clutter in the garden as well as the house.
• A well planned and built extension will do most to improve the appeal and value of your house
• Be sensible about the price at which you put your home on the market

One thing you will need to sort out early on is an Energy Performance Certificate. These are required by law (since August 2007) if you are selling your home and detail your home’s energy use and carbon dioxide emissions. There are a number of things you can do to improve your home’s rating (indeed you should do them even if you’re not selling!) so check out the  Act on CO2 website and the energy saving trust for advice.

So whether your are looking for a new two-bedroom house for sale in New Milton or an old three-bedroom property for sale in Old Windsor, do your homework before putting your own home on the market.

USEFUL LINKS

• Our online search engine
• DirectGov advice for buying a home
• Buying or selling a home in Scotland
• National Association of Estate Agents

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