Sales expert shares 5 tips to sell your home and move before Christmas

According to a new study by Rightmove, it takes an average of 71 days to find a buyer for a home(1), which is even before the involvement of estate agents and solicitors.

To help reduce this timeframe and improve the chances of current homeowners achieving a quick sale, Steve Ball, Sales Director for Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes North East, recommends the followings tips:

Focus on decluttering

On a day-to-day basis, a home will naturally look lived. Whether it’s a hobby, a child’s homework, or laundry that hasn’t been put away yet, it’s important to make sure that items can be tidied away wherever possible.

Failure to do so will affect the photography that goes online, and in turn, potential purchasers that are viewing the home may be put off by what can be deemed as uncleanliness.

Decluttered sides and surfaces can also help to make a room look more spacious, as it gives the interested party the opportunity to envision how they would use the space.

Always look on the bright side

Due to window placement or the direction a room may be facing, there may be a case where some rooms in the house can not offer a lot of natural light.

In these instances, replacing the lightbulbs in the ceiling lighting and lamps can help any room appear more spacious. With many home buyers working later in the day, this is especially important later in the year when darker evenings roll in.

First impressions count

When arranging viewings, first impressions make a big difference. Before anyone is given ample chance to view a home, one of the first things the potential buyer may be met with is a scent.

The home may look tidy and light, but if all the viewer is thinking of is the smell of a litter tray, wet dog or cigarettes, it can be very off-putting for the overall experience as the concern that the scent is embedded in the house may cross their mind.

Grab the candles, oil burners and diffusers, and make sure anything that may produce an unpleasant odour is thoroughly cleaned or tidied away.

Tackle that to-do list

Part of a home being lived-in is picking up a few DIY tasks along the way. Whilst they can be lived with, for someone looking to buy the home, they will most likely want to carry out as minimal maintenance when moving.

Hinges may be creaking, pipes may be leaking and paint may be chipping. This might be a point of contention for the interested party as they will see it as an additional expense even after completing the purchase.

Consider the Part Exchange Scheme

If you're concerned about selling your current property, the Part Exchange scheme offered by Barratt and David Wilson Homes could be an ideal solution.

Allowing the housebuilder to buy your home from you, it gives homeowners the peace of mind of having a guaranteed buyer, and avoids the stress of property chains and estate agency fees, making the process much smoother and quicker.

David Wilson Homes currently offer a variety of housing developments within Sunderland, including its Doxford Green development on Burdon Lane. Offering a variety of four and five bedroom properties, a selection of which are available to move into for Christmas, interested house buyers are encouraged to visit the Sales Office to find out more information.

(1) Data lifted from Rightmove study as of March 2024: https://www.openpropertygroup.com/news/how-long-does-it-take-to-sell-a-property-in-2024