UK - Northern Ireland | How to sell your home this Summer

Joanne Moore LLB and Oonagh McVeigh LLM

With the weather hopefully on the turn towards some sunshine, your thoughts may be turning to putting your property on the market so you can move on to a new home. The summer can be a difficult time to sell your property with lots of people away on holiday, but there are some key benefits to selling this summer.

• Post-election surge – with a majority government in place and the country being stable, many property experts think this will boost the market with confidence from buyers. This may give you an added edge if you are wanting to sell your property this summer.
• More competitive mortgage rates – although there is a new tougher test for mortgages, there do appear to be a number of very competitive mortgage deals out there and this may encourage buyers to come out of the woodwork this summer.
• Renovation projects – many buyers are looking for homes that are finished to a higher standard now and for most, with the hike in house prices and the corresponding rise in deposits, there is little left over to complete renovations on a property once they have purchased it. You can easily spruce up your property cheaply with a lick of paint and get to those little jobs like fixing the door handle or putting the toilet roll holder back on the wall as these can make a huge difference to potential buyer’s perception of your home.
• How does your garden grow? – having a garden full of old toys from your children and shabby looking garden furniture does not position your property well. In the summer your garden will be a bigger feature for selling your home than it would be in the winter, so make sure you add some colour, do some weeding and generally give it some attention, so that it can add value to your home rather than diminish it.
• Price competitively – your property will fly off the market as long as you price it right. Whilst the pound signs may seem attractive when your estate agent is telling you how much you could sell it for, do your own research so that you are clear what the right price for your home is.
• Spring (or is that Summer?) Clean – clutter and a smelly dog will not sell your property. Clean up, wash the dog and clear away those toys that have been littering the floor for weeks. It is hard to keep your home like a show home when you live in it, especially with children and pets, but this is the best way to get your home sold.
• Coffee or curry? – smell plays a big part in first impressions and fish pie or a curry is possibly not the best idea prior to a viewing. Fresh coffee, baking bread or any other delicious smell is acceptable though.

To make the first move, give either Joanne Moore or Oonagh McVeigh a call on +44 (0) 28 9077 4500