Advice to homeowners who want to sell their house before Christmas

Homeowners looking to sell their house before Christmas will need to get them onto the market this week.

Eight weeks is the minimum time you can expect to complete a deal on a property and now a leading property expert is on hand to help.

Jonathan Rolande, from HouseBuyFast said there was “still time” for people who were yet to put their house up for sale to get a buyer before the festive season.

“It takes an average of 59 days to sell a home, so this is the last week to get your house on the market if you want to make that sale before Christmas,” he said.

“With the clock ticking, it’s important for you to have your home market-ready and the paperwork in order to hit the deadline.”

Here’s Jonathan’s top five tips to make a sale before Santa arrives

Be reasonable on price. Estate agents always hear “ but mine is the best on the road!” from sellers but an unrealistic price will mean your home remaining on the market for a long time. By all means be optimistic and an estate agent should never say never, but if you want to sell in a reasonable time frame, be realistic on price.  The best time to sell is within the first few weeks and any property which has languished unsold will not entice a buyer as easily.

You need great photos. When sellers are looking at a property, they will always be attracted by the photos, so don’t accept anything other than amazing.  This is not a time to cut corners: the photos should be well-lit, and the house should be clean, tidy, and uncluttered. We live in a visual age and buyers will simply scroll past a home that doesn’t grab their attention in the first second or two.

Be flexible on viewings. It’s not a seller’s market anymore so be flexible with viewings. You’ll need to accommodate potential buyers wherever possible, and that could mean weekends and evenings, when most people are free to look.

Choose the right agent. Don’t choose the agent based either on the commission fee or the sale price they recommend. Many bad agents will tell you a figure you want to hear just to win the business, even if they know they won’t be able to secure you a sale at that price. Ensure your chosen agent has sold similar homes in your location and check their marketing material and websites to ensure they know what they are doing. It’s also important to pick an agent who is an expert in selling your type of property. Some may specialise in grand houses, which is very nice unless you’re trying to sell a one bed starter flat.

Be honest.  All properties have some issue or another so its  better to be open about any problems or they could come back to haunt you down the line. Undisclosed issues delay sales, especially if they are picked up in a survey, and can cause the whole sale to fall through. In the worst case, not being up front could lead to legal action against you post-sale.