Selling your Home

Moving home can be one of the most important financial and emotional decisions you’re likely to make. So you need to be sure that you have considered all your options first.

 

It is possible extending your current home is an option. We will be happy to advice on what value an extension may add to your home to help you work out how viable your plans are.

 

For some, especially those who need to relocate, keeping your current home and renting it out is an option. Everest offers a comprehensive letting and management service which we will be happy to discuss in more detail.

 

Whatever your reasons for moving we will help you make the right decision.

Our comprehensive and innovative marketing package plays a vital role in ensuring that your property is seen by as wide an audience of potential buyers as possible, helping you to achieve the best possible price:

 

Online - we utilise all of the highest rated property portals as well as our own award winning website to ensure the best online presentation of your home.

 

Comprehensive internet coverage on nationwide portals such as www.zoopla.com, www.rightmove.co.uk and also via our property website www.everestestates.co.uk and www.guildproperty.co.uk.

 

Offline – our presence throughout East London & Essex through our billboard, bus and taxi advertising, adverts in quality local magazines, support of local schools and charities and numerous FOR SALE and SOLD boards.

 

All help us to attract potential buyers looking for a home in your area.

 

INDUSTRY LEADING & AWARD WINNING MARKETING -

The way we present and market the property we are selling is integral to achieving your goal of finding the best buyer at the best price.

 

We were one of the first estate agents to use video technology as part of our marketing. Included as part of our fee, we offer to produce HD quality video tours of every property we are asked to sell. These videos add a new dimension to the visual impression your property makes to a potential buyer.

 

COMMUNICATION -

Surveys show that one of the biggest frustrations sellers have with their agent is the lack of communication.

 

At Everest we know how important regular updates are and that by giving honest and constructive advice we can help you make the right decisions and find the right buyer. We will contact you as often as you need.

 

Then when we have agreed a sale the negotiator and manager you have been dealing with will work with you, talking to all the connected parties to help make sure your sale goes through as smoothly as possible.

 

Remember we’re here to answer any questions you may have at any time.

We understand every property and every vendor is unique and requires an individual approach. Our aim is to provide the highest level of service to ensure your property is sold for the best price within your required time frame and that you receive the best guidance and advice possible.

 

A careful mix of traditional marketing techniques with the latest online marketing ensures Everest Independent Estate Agents attract as wide an audience as possible to achieve the best price.

 

Our commitment to embracing cutting edge technology to enhance the way your property is marketed continues with our unique introduction of high quality video property presentations.

 

The videos are more than a string of still photographs; they are professionally filmed using state of the art HD camera technology and production techniques and create cinematic style property movies that capture the correct depth in stunning detail. Video adds an intimacy to a property listing that a static page is unable to convey. Only through video can you capture the unique qualities of a home that text, still photos and 360 tours fail to illustrate.

 

Our offline marketing includes high quality bespoke sales brochures – with professional photography showing your properties most important and attractive features, detailed colour floor plans, energy performance certificate and the ‘The Owners Love’ which highlights the features that brings a property to life and transforms it into a ‘home’.

 

While our online marketing which is enhanced by the inclusion of our property videos, includes being featured as a ‘Premium Listing’ on the top property portals including Prime Location and Rightmove, which makes your property really stand out from the rest. The property descriptions are carefully written to ensure full search engine optimisation which raises your properties position in the organic Google search.

There are a number of points you need to consider when you choose an estate agent to sell and market your home

 

General advice is to invite three Estate Agents to value your home. This should give you a clear picture on which estate agent you believe will best work to your goal.

 

Here are some pointers to bear in mind when you meet your chosen agents.

 

Digital Marketing

When considering which Agent to instruct to sell your home, first and foremost visit their website, have a good look around to find out a little about the agency, how easy is the website to use for buyers searching for a home? This will also allow you the opportunity to consider their digital offering, such as pictures, floor plans, videos and their use of social media. Most buyers start their search online and 1 in 3 people in the UK go onto Facebook daily. Interestingly the fastest growing age group of social media users are 45 - 55 year olds.

 

Knowledge & Professionalism

It is really very important that you use a qualified professional; many agents are not qualified or regulated so look for as a NAEA Licensed agent with good local knowledge to sell your home. The real reason for this is that although it is possible that any agent could find a buyer, the knowledge, advice and help in shepherding an agreed sale to a successful exchange of contracts is the real value that you gain from using a licensed agent with knowledge of the legal process, construction and the importance of regularly checking the progress of the whole chain.

 

Mystery Shopping

If you are selling your home, it is likely that you will also be purchasing a new home. Regardless as to whether this will be in the area your home is in, I would strongly recommend that you register with a few of your local agents to experience first-hand and assess the kind of service any prospective purchaser will receive when looking for a home.

 

Market Reach

Also consider how many potential buyers the agent can put your property before. After all the more people that see it, the better your chance of achieving the best possible price for your home. It is important to consider what portals the agents list on and how their properties are presented. Buyers generally look more at the larger adverts with more pictures and those with videos, get even more attention. However, remember that the cheaper agents may rely solely on this advertising. Better agents can attract over 50% of their enquiry via search engine optimisation of their own website, external brand awareness and advertising, a high street office presence and reputation. When considering whether to instruct a larger agent with a network of offices, investigate whether they share applicants and properties; if they do this can double or treble the number of buyers your property is introduced to.

 

Fees

Looking for the cheapest fee is also a false economy. Your agent should be able to provide a high level of marketing exposure and coverage together with knowledge and experience to ensure you accomplish the best sale price. Saving a few hundred pounds on the fee should be compared to the potential of selling for thousands of pounds less than you could have achieved.

 

Valuation

Once you have chosen the three agents to value your home, this is your opportunity to interrogate each of them about their offering, be sure to try and find out the differences between them. For example an agent that shows the number of applicants they have registered that may be interested in your home is probably better than one that purely says we have lots of people that would be interested.

 

When the agent offers their view of the value look in detail at the comparable evidence offered to justify the price, are they in similar roads to yours? Are they really comparable? What other info has the agent offered to justify the price? Do not be flattered / swayed by a high valuation! Some agents will try and entice you to instruct them on a long exclusivity agreement.

 

Exclusivity Agreements

These are generally used to tie in a seller for a period in excess of 4 weeks, and are used to get the instruction with the view to persuading you to reduce the price to a more realistic level (which is likely to be less than you would have got if you priced it correctly in the first instance) when you are not at liberty to dis-instruct them and find a new agent. Any agent worth there salt will be happy to allow you to dis-instruct them on short notice if you are not happy with the service provided.

 

It is essential that the right asking price is set. Pitch it too high and you will lose the all-important initial impact, which could lead to your property sitting on the market and eventually selling for less than you could have achieved if priced correctly to begin with.

 

For more help or advice contact us

Through our accompanied viewings service, we show potential buyers hundreds of properties each year. We know how a property is presented can seriously affect the final sale price.

 

To achieve the best price it's important that your property looks as good as it can, inside and out. There are some very simple steps you can take to prepare your home to go on the market – Proven techniques that, for little expense, can have a huge impact maximizing the price of your home.

 

Simple tips to help maximize the price of your home:

 

OUTSIDE - An attractive exterior is the key to bringing the prospective buyers or tenants to your doorstep.

• Check the fence or garden wall and make sure they are in good repair.
• Weed the flower beds
• Make sure the front gate is in good condition and closes properly.
• Remove oil stains from driveways, and clear moss or weeds from the path.
• If needed give the front door a fresh coat of paint
• Check your roof for slipped or missing tiles. Make sure the gutters are cleared and aren't sagging.
• Make sure the window frames aren't peeling. Give them a fresh coat of paint. Clean the windows.
• Clear the garden. Tidy away old garden furniture and cut back hedges, bushes and shrubbery.

 

INSIDE – Begin with a thorough clean. De-Clutter! Sort out & dispose of things you no longer need. Store or give away excess furniture that makes the room appear cramped.

• Clean and arrange cupboards & fitted wardrobes; they will look bigger with less clutter.
• Make your kitchen appliances shine.
• Clear off work tops to make the kitchen look spacious and neat.
• Wash walls and woodwork.
• In the bathrooms, scrub soap film from tiles and grout.

 

Decorating - Decorating can help assure you will get the best price for your home. But before you begin put yourself in the place of a buyer or tenant seeing your home for the first time, or get a fresh, neutral pair of eyes to give an un-biased view – your agent is an ideal person to do this.

• Paint rooms, needing a fresh coat, in a neutral colour.
• Re-stain or paint chipped woodwork.
• Replace torn or soiled wallpaper, carpeting or curtains in a neutral shade.
• Consider new light fixtures and mirrors to make a room.
• Add flowers to make your home more attractive.

 

Remember you don't have to turn your home in to a Show Home, but it has to be as welcoming as possible

 

Repairing - Your repair list should include:

• Fix leaky taps.
• Make sure fitted wardrobe doors close easily.
• Touch up paint, repair plaster and nail holes.
• Make sure your doorbell is working properly.
• Polish or refinish badly scratched hardwood floors

 

Preparing for a viewing - Before a viewing make the property look welcoming and inviting - Remember the importance of first impressions.

• Clear the entrance hall. Put away coats or bikes which can make the hall feel cramped and small
• Make sure junk mail doesn't pile up by the front door.
• Make the beds. Do the washing up and put it away.
• During the day keep curtains fully drawn for maximum light and ensure windows are sparkling to let in more light.
• At night or on dull days turn on all the lights.
• Turn off the television.
• Open windows to air out any stuffy rooms. Set central heating to come on in winter so it's warm and welcoming.
• Avoid unpleasant cooking odours.
• If you have a dog, take it out for a walk – not everyone likes animals.