Selling your own home privately is becoming more popular all the time.
In fact, a recent survey by the Office of Fair Trading found that around 10% of people have tried selling their homes privately. A staggering 91% said that they were happy with the experience and most said they would try it again.
The internet has given a huge boost to private sellers, allowing them to advertise their properties on websites that get tens of thousands of visitors each month – reaching people they would never have found otherwise.
There are also a number of home-selling clubs around – organisations you can join as a private seller who will help you out with advice on describing your property, For Sale boards and useful information to help you get the best price for your home.
Here’s an overview of how a private sale might work:
– Prepare your home for sale (Here are some tips)
– Decide on a valuation for your home (a good method is to get several local estate agents round)
– Write up the property details – including measurements for each room, photographs where possible and as much information as you can.
– Find some estate agents’ details for similar properties online (or in your local estate agent) and use them as a model.
Note how they use careful wording to disguise any negative points.
– Decide where you are going to advertise your property. Some of the choices are:
Put a For Sale board up – it’s tried and tested and still one of the best techniques for finding people who want a home in your area.
Several websites will supply you with a suitable board, or you can make your own.
(NB it mustn’t be more than 0.5 square metres in size)
Cards in the windows of local newsagents, chip shops, etc. (it’s cheap/free and well targeted to local people)
Uploading your details to the major property portal websites – some are free, some charge a small fee, but even when you add several together, they are much cheaper than any estate agent would be.
Once your property is being marketed, sit back and wait for the phone calls.
Make sure you keep your home 99% ready for any viewings – but don’t be afraid to turn away anyone who just knocks at the door expecting to be shown around. In fact for safety reasons it might be a good idea to have some excuses ready for any unwanted callers, for example “my partner is in charge of this and is up in bed with the flu”.
It’s perfectly reasonable to require people to make an appointment and provide a contact name and telephone number. If you’re going to be in your home on your own at the time of the viewing, make sure a nearby friend or neighbour knows you’re expecting someone – just in case.
Learn more about how to manage property viewings.