Residential property experts McEwan Fraser Legal offer their tips for ensuring a successful sale
McEwan Fraser Legal is Scotland’s fastest growing company of Solicitors and Estate Agents. Formed only in 2009, the residential property sales specialists for central Scotland have already broken into the top 5 in the ESPC both for the number of properties listed and, crucially, for the number of sales. This is despite operating in a stagnant Scottish property market, where prices and number of approved loans fell in 2011.
McEwan Fraser Legal believe this success is down to a combination of experience, expertise and a practical approach. This practical approach is full of little touches which differentiate them from other solicitors and estate agents, and they have the customer feedback to prove it. For starters, they’re open 7 days a week and take calls 24 hours a day. They also have a large production team – including three professional photographers – which allows them to produce eye-catching, high-quality property photographs to help sellers make an excellent first impression.
There are no upfront fees to marketing the property, and they have developed an advanced bespoke property database to match buyers and sellers together. From that point, trained negotiators act on behalf of the sellers to get the best offer for the property. Clients can also check up-to-the-minute sales activity on their property with their own special log-in to the McEwan Fraser Legal site. If a potential buyer for your home cannot get their own house sold, McEwan Fraser Legal can offer a unique part exchange, chain-breaking initiative. This means anyone who sells with McEwan Fraser Legal is not restricted to a cash buyer to sell their house. The part exchange option has been proven to provide significantly more interest in properties.
In the first of our new property advice columns, McEwan Fraser Legal furnish us with their top seven tips for selling your property.
1. Target Market
The first step to selling your property quickly and painlessly is to consider your target market. Who do you think might buy your property? Then try to tailor your space to appeal to the main group without alienating other groups that might also be interested. So if you feel a professional couple would be ideal, then turn the 2nd bed/office back into a bedroom and make a space for a workstation elsewhere in the house. This will ensure that the house would still appeal to a young couple with a small child.
2. De-Clutter and De-Personalise
Potential buyers need to imagine themselves living in your house, so get rid of ornaments and photos – especially posters in kids’ bedrooms. Put things you don’t really use on a daily basis in the attic or other storage space. Large pieces of furniture should also go into storage; this will make rooms feel much bigger. Focus on the hallway – clear away coats/clutter; the bathroom – hide all your products; and the kitchen – clear the bench surfaces of appliances, jars, tins, etc., and replace any ragged tea towels or smelly bins. Open windows and let air in, to remove any strong smells, have a really good clean and keep the house looking its best.
3. Freshen Up
Let as much natural light as possible into the house. If some rooms don’t have much light then put in a small lamp and try to brighten them up if you can. A fresh coat of neutral paint, new tiling or lino, and a couple of new kitchen doors can do wonders to smarten up a tired-looking property. If you can’t stretch to re-tiling in the bathroom, re-grouting should bring it up new. The same effect can be achieved by installing matching chrome fittings; replacing broken light bulbs; re-painting the front door; ironing sheets in the bedroom; taking down any heavy dark drapes; installing up-lighters in the living room for subtle lighting; and strategically placing flowers throughout. A smell of coffee is a welcome for any potential buyers as it creates warmth within the property.
4. Clean Up
If you’d rather not redecorate, it is still essential that the house be spotless. Getting industrial cleaners in to really make the place sparkle will be money well-spent; have the carpets, sofa covers, oven and windows cleaned while you’re at it. Pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms, which need to be inviting and hygienic; finish up with a new loo seat, fresh white towels, and a strategically placed plant or two. Watch out for over-stuffed wardrobes – yes, people do look in them to check the amount of storage space – so clear them out.
Finally, the garden is now seen as an additional room, so be sure to make your garden feel like a great space for entertaining and relaxing. Try and keep grass as green as possible and lawns well maintained; plan flowers and plants in bloom to add colour and life to your outdoor areas.
5. Get the Word Out
Always have a board up, and tell your neighbours – word of mouth is a powerful tool. You never know who might live just round the corner, waiting for your house to come to the market.
6. Preparing for Viewings
Everyone knows that first impressions count, and you’ll want the house to appeal to as many people as possible; the more people there are who like the property, the higher the selling price should be. So sweep up, and make sure the front garden and hall to your house are tidy and inviting. Leave the pets with a neighbour and thoroughly clean up any cat and dog hair in particular, as many people are allergic to animal hair. Turn the lights and heating on; air out the house; and don’t smoke or cook a curry before viewings. If you’ve got parking, leave the space free for the buyer – this will add to the whole experience.
7. Showing a Property
If you are showing your property yourself, decide beforehand what order you will show the rooms, and guide viewers around the property once, showing the best rooms first or last. Don’t overload them with detail, such as the size of your boiler or the trouble with the neighbour’s cat. Be business-like during the first viewing; if someone is interested, you can always get to know them a little more on the second viewing. Never point out problems or issues, but do feel free to highlight the odd positive point, like a south-facing garden, or very convenient parking. Finally, invite viewers to take another tour round the property on their own… but don’t go off and make a phone call – be somewhere nearby, on hand to answer queries. Ask the viewers if they have any questions and always be positive with the reply.
McEwan Fraser Legal, 15 Annandale Street, EH7 4AW, Tel. 0131 524 9797
For further information, visit www.mcewanfraserlegal.co.uk
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