Achieving a quick sale from the open market can be tricky and require more of your time than you might like. This is however, usually the best way to achieve the highest sale price for the property. Many people we speak to have already attempted to make a sale in this way prior to contacting us and have grown frustrated by the time and effort it takes. In some cases we will purchase the property from them and in other cases we will offer simple advice to speed up the process. With this in mind, here are some of our key tips for achieving a quick house sale:

Prepare the property. Preparing the property will not only aid a quick sale on the open market it will also help you achieve a higher price for your property. Take an honest look at your house (as if you were a buyer) and make a list of any DIY jobs that a buyer would notice. A property will be of interest to more people if they believe they can move straight in and without need to decorate. With this in mind complete the work needed and make the property appeal to a wide range of tastes by keeping everything neutral. The next step is a deep clean. This is not said with the assumption that the house is not clean, it is simply easier to do one major clean and then periodic “quick cleans” when preparing for viewings.

Estate agents. Look in your local papers and at sales boards in your local area and make a list of the agents who clearly have a local presence. Invite each one to value your house. If you have a quick house sale in mind, inform them that this is the case, this might prevent the agent claiming they will get a high price simply to get your business. Ask them how many properties they have in the area and how many recent sales they have made. Ask what prices they have achieved. Remember, at this point a high valuation is not the goal, finding the right price and the right agent to get a quick sale is. Once you have decided which agent you will use the next issue is the fee they charge. In many cases this fee is negotiable however, remember the important thing to you is speed of sale and therefore make sure the agent has good reason to push your property. It’s possible that the lower the fee the lower the effort to find a buyer. Once you have chosen the agent you wish to use you will need to sign a contract with them. Read the contact and the small print very carefully, check that the terms agreed are stated and check that you are not signed to that agent for an excessive amount of time.

Viewings: Before the viewing make a note of the key selling points of your house (the agent can help you with these) and any relevant information that may persuade the buyer. Prepare the house buy making sure it is clean and tidy and free from clutter. Welcome the buyer and give them a brief description of the property. You can now either walk the buyer around your house or allow them to have a look by them selves, both options have advantages and disadvantages. If you accompany them you can point out the houses selling points as you go but the buyer may not feel they can have a thorough look with you near by. If you choose to allow the buyer to look by them selves simply mention the selling points before they leave. The agent should contact you with feedback and offers within 48 hours of the viewing, if this does not happen, call them and request an update.

Most companies who offer a quick house sale will make an offer below the open market value (BMV). This will usually range from as low as 50% and usually up to around 80%. At first glance these figures may seem relatively low however it’s worth considering some of the financial benefits of  using a quick house sale company. If you choose to sell your property privately it will be sold very quickly and you will therefore avoid any more mortgage payments. You will also avoid expensive agents and solicitors fees. Another point of interest is that on the open market any buyer will want to negotiate and therefore it is unlikely you would achieve market value after waiting so long to make the sale. Perhaps other than financial benefits one of the largest benefits is avoiding the stress of the open market. When you use the open market to sell you will need to find an agent, you will need to keep your property in a fit state to have strangers wandering round looking through your rooms and cupboards and you will generally have to wait months to achieve a sale much lower than your asking price. You will also often find yourself in a chain and one break could result in your sale falling through. With a private sale you avoid all the hassle of the open market and unlock the cash tired in your home straight away.