Is there such a thing as selling a home the easy way? Probably not, but there’s certainly such a thing as doing it the hard way, or the wrong way! Selling a home is always going to be a daunting task; it’s likely to be the biggest, most valuable, and most emotionally-relevant asset you own.
We’re going to take a quick look at the things you need to consider if you’re going to be selling property of any kind this year. 2017 is set to be an interesting year in economics and real estate, so make sure you’re not making the process of selling property any harder than it needs to be! Here are the things you need to think about.
Legal responsibilities
We can throw in a few terms here relating to the legal side of property sale and ownership – terms such as landlord laws, tenant laws, transaction contracts, mortgages, leases – and still barely scratch the surface of what needs to be covered when it comes to selling a home.
A lot of homeowners make the mistake of ignoring a lot of the legal responsibilities and complications that come with this process. They do so at their peril. Yes, it can be time-consuming and complex, but that doesn’t mean it’s worth putting these issues off! You may want to hire the help of a lawyer to make sure all the ‘t’s are crossed and all the ‘i’s are dotted. A conveyancing lawyer may be the best person for it.
Politics
They say that politics seeps into everything eventually, and property selling is no exception. The real estate market is currently in an odd place on both sides of the Atlantic; not a bad place, necessarily, but quite a politically sensitive one. Say what you will about both things, but there’s no denying that, for better or worse, Trump and Brexit have shaken things up a bit, perhaps before many of us were really ready!
These things are worth considering because they may affect the price you’ll get for a particular property in a particular area. Those with overseas properties need to think extra carefully about this sort of thing. Spanish property and Brexit, for example, may end up intertwining in positive or negative ways.
Proper valuation
Is home valuation a simple matter? Some would claim it is; others would say it’s the most complex part. The answer for most people is probably somewhere in-between; it can be relatively simple, but making sure it’s done as accurately as possible often takes more time than people assume.
It’s best to have more than one valuation to ensure you get a better overall estimate for your property. The best thing to do is ensure you’re working with someone who will consider a lot of different angles when it comes to property values. Some will simply walk around for a bit and deem the house to have gone up 10% in value by simply noticing that not much has changed.
Others will consider changes in the locality. Have crime rates decreased? Have the number of local amenities increased? A lot of things need to be considered, so make sure you’re working with valuators who are sticklers for details. It can help make you more money with the sale.