Selling a house fast has never been an easy task and today it is a little harder as people are much more careful with their money and have many properties to pick and choose from. If you want a fast property sale then you need to do all you can to attract property buyers. Here are 7 top tips to help you to sell house fast.

First impressions do count for a lot. The first thing that potential buyers will see is the front of your home and if they see cracking paintwork, weeds and long grass in the garden or general disarray, they may very well walk away without even looking around your home. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to tidy up the garden, cut the grass and plant a few flowers, spending a little money and time may be the deal clincher. Take a good look at the outside of your property, including guttering, windows and doors and spruce it up with a little paint!

Our second tip concerns the cleanliness of your property. You are not going to get a quick house sale if potential buyers walk into a house that looks dusty, smells fusty and especially if they cannot see through the windows for grime. Take the time to ensure that your home is clean and sparkling throughout; it gives a much better visual appearance and smells much nicer.

Take a look around your home to see if there is anything that needs doing in the DIY department. Will those cracked and loose tiles in the bathroom put off property buyers? Probably, and all it takes is a little time and effort to remedy and better your chances of obtaining a fast property sale.

You may like bright bold colors, large patterns or stripes, but this is not to everyone’s taste. Therefore you might want to consider neutralizing the color scheme and decoration in your home. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, just repaint in creams or beiges, colors that open up the place and make it light and airy are what’s needed.

When it comes to selling a house fast there is nothing more likely to put potential home buyers off than walking around a home full of clutter. Clutter makes your rooms look small and untidy, so when looking for a quick sale, less is best, go for the minimal look in all rooms of your home. Clearing out the clutter now works to your advantage as you have less to take with you when you move.

You may wish to consider the lighting in your home when looking into selling property fast. Think about creating mood and atmosphere instead of having a single bulb hanging from the ceiling illuminating the room. Subtle lighting may make the difference between quick sales and your home being left on the market.

Our final tip for obtaining fast house sales is to choose accessories wisely throughout your property. For instance a vase of fresh flowers and house plants carefully placed can make a huge difference. Hang a large mirror to reflect the light can make a smaller room appear larger and airy. Light and space instead of a dark and dingy cluttered room can help you to get a quick house sale for cash.

QSC have a great many years in helping homeowners sell their property fast. Whatever your circumstances for needing a fast sale we can usually help. Check out our website at http:// www.quick-sale-completions.co.uk and fill in our quick and easy online form.

Some readers of this blog may be interested to hear of a new scheme that is being launched in association with Look 4 a Property where interest free, unsecured loans of up to £50,000 are being offered to help with the costs of moving home (such as stamp duty, estate agency and legal costs).  The scheme is being used as a method to get the housing market going again and is the brain-child of ‘Dragon Den’ panellist – James Caan.

You will only be able to access the loan if you have an existing mortgage in place; they cannot be used to fund deposits and you will have to undergo a credit check.

For more information, please click here.

This short post goes through some of the things you should ensure when looking for and using a property conveyancing solicitor.  Note that even if you are using an estate agent’s ‘in house’ legal team – you should still check the following:

• Ask about how long the firm has been established and who will be processing your case (as well as their experience).  You can also feel free to request testimonials and/or speak to previous clients;

• Post on forums such as Money Savings Expert, The Consumer Action Group and What Consumer to ask questions about other people experiences of selling their houses;

• Ask about the firms completion time (the period in which all paper work – including searches – will be done and dusted and the keys can be handed over to the new owner);

• Phone a few other solicitor firms in the area to ensure you are not over-paying;

• Ensure the firm operates a ‘no-win, no-fee’ policy so you do not have to pay if, for whatever reason, the sale falls through;

• Be aware that if you have a larger property or the house is owned under a leasehold, then you may expect to pay more;

• Ask how busy they are at the moment – you do not want your file to be put to ‘the bottom of the pile’;

• If you are using a lease option to sell your home (to a property investor or other buyer, for example), ensure that the solicitor has experience of handling these types of transactions and that the correct paperwork is being used.  Many sellers choose to run all the paperwork through separate lawyer to ensure everything is above board.

Should you wish to use our panel of solicitors (with absolutely no obligation to use our service) please feel free contact us.

Click here to use our FREE Budget Calculator

Whilst it is very easy to think that you need a fast property sale due to having financial difficulties – often taking a look at what you receive and spend every month can help things become clearer.

Please click on the link to to get free access to our ‘Budget Calculator’ spreadsheet (note that you will need Microsoft Excel to be able to download the file).

By typing in your various incomings (wages, savings, benefits) and outgoings (mortgage payments, bills, shopping) you will be able to see whether your household has a balance budget.

If you have any questions or comments on using this spreadsheet, please do not hesitate email us at info@quicksalecompletions.co.uk with your phone number or complete the form on the right and we will be in touch.

The current economic climate has put many homeowners in a position where they are not able to sell their property, this can be due to a number of reasons including:

• There are not enough buyers in the local market;
• The property needs work done to it before it can be sold;
• There is not enough equity in the property.

Below are a handful of suggestions that you may find useful if you find yourself in one or more of the situations above…

1) Selling on the open market / private sale - many estate agents would admit that their books are overloaded with properties looking to be sold.  For this reason, some homeowners have decided to drop their asking prices slightly in order to make their property look more attractive.  If you decide to do this, be sure to bear in mind the selling costs involved (legal and estate agency fees, for example).

Another alternative is to look to conduct a private sale yourself.  Some options which are possible include placing an advert in your local newspaper or the internet as well as asking friends, family and neighbours.  You should also be sure that you are comfortable with the person you are selling your house to and ensure you use a trustworthy and experienced solicitor.  Selling privately will also mean that you will benefit from the fact that you will not have to pay estate agents fees (which can be anything up to 3%) as well as the Home Information Pack (HIP) charges.  When it comes to having prospective buyers viewing your property, take note of the following low-cost tips to improve the appeal of your house:

• refresh the exterior (trim hedges, tidy pathways, driveways, clean windows etc);
• Mow the lawns, remove weeds, get some colourful flowers;
• Create an inviting entrance – paint front door with a cheerful colour; clean and polish doorknocker and handles, add a welcome mat;
• Remove clutter and unattractive furniture;
• Clean, clean, clean;
• Undertake any minor repairs such as cracks in walls and ceilings, taps, banisters, handrails, visible furniture;
• Quickly brighten up a drab room with a fresh lick of paint in a neutral colour;
• Showcase the kitchen – usually the ‘heart’ of any home – by replacing cabinet doors and hardware, and replacing light fixtures;
• Stage furniture – make rooms spacious by putting spare furniture into storage, selling via e-bay or putting it into a local junk sale;
• Ensure that the property is well lit when potential buyers are visiting.

2) Part Now, Part Later - Quick Sale Completions are able to offer our clients a way of achieving the full market value of their property through a legal instrument called a ‘lease option’.  In short, we will be able to clear any existing debt against the property (and more, should your circumstances permit) and subsequently give you the remainder balance within a set time period.   We are finding that this is suiting many of our clients circumstances at the moment as many are reluctant or not in a position to be able to accept a low offer yet still want to get the best possible price for their home.  Below are some of the benefits of this programme:

• Get rid of the ball and chain of owning a problem property;
• No estate agents commissions, legal or other fees to pay;
• None of the hassle of arranging visits to your home from buyers – get the issue dealt with quickly and easily;
• No broken chain risk;
• Buy back options available;
• Quick no-hassle sale, normally completing within a month (we  have the ability to be able to exchange contracts in 48 hours);
• No HIP will be required and we will take care of any Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) costs;
• Any money that is released will be free of tax.

There are several ways in which we can buy the property, depending on your particular circumstance and we will be able to back the entire process with a legal guarantee.  If you would like to have a no-obligation discussing of this programme, please complete our form to the right and one of our experienced Property Consultants will explain the full details.

3) Downsizing to a lower value property - you may be finding that your mortgage payments are far too high for you to deal with at the present time and so swapping to a smaller place to live may make more sense.  As mentioned above, at the present time, there are some genuine bargains to be had on the open market and estate agents have a lot of properties on their books.  If you can find a buyer for your existing property, you may even be able to part-exchange with someone who is looking to move into a property similar to yours.

4) Arranging a further advance or re-mortgage from your mortgage company - if you wish to remain in the property and are simply looking to release equity, consider discussing further borrowing from your lender. You will need to check your statements to see if there is a sufficient amount of equity in the property.  As a guide, most mortgage companies in the current financial climate would require homeowners to own a minimum of 75% of the equity in the property.   Alternatively, you may decide to take out a second loan secured against your property’s equity.  Bear in mind, of course, that either route means increased debt, and higher monthly repayments. This also leaves you exposed to future increases in interest rates.   Should you choose this route, please ensure that you seek independent financial and legal advice and be aware of the exact terms of the loan.

5) A ‘payment holiday’ and/or payment plan from your current mortgage company and secured loan lender(s) - some homeowners who have been particularly loyal to their mortgage companies have been able to obtain a break from paying their mortgage perhaps, due to unforeseen circumstances.  Should your lender choose to offer you such an option you should, again, obtain independent financial advice and have a clear idea of how you will repay the loan after the holiday period has ended.

6) Converting your mortgage from repayment to interest only mortgage – generally speaking, payments on an interest only mortgage are a lot less but, again, you should be aware of the fact the size of the loan will not be decreasing.  You will need to show to the lender that you will be able to resume repayment of the loan at the point when the terms of the interest only loan finish.

7) An Equity Release Scheme - an option that might be worth exploring is an equity release scheme. These are schemes designed to allow you to sell your property (typically at 40% – 50% of its value) and stay in your property long term. They are designed mainly for the over 55 age group and the low value they offer for the property make them unworkable for people who don’t have enough capital in their property to accept such a discount.