Dec
2008
This week I've decided to answer one of the questions on everybody's lips: "How can I sell my property faster, it's urgent". In the current market there is a lot of competition by properties trying to attract the buyers' attention. Like everything else inf life, you've basically got two options to catch they eye, the easy and the difficult route:
- The easy route: Drop you're price - because MyRoof.co.za lists property for sale privately, you've got 7% agents commission which you can lower your price by and still get what you want.
- The difficult route: Go through the trouble to make your property listing on MyRoof.co.za and your house look impeccable to any prospective buyer.
Drop your price
It's not easy dropping your price, especially considering that you were told your property was worth a million rand a year ago already. What you need to consider is the growth your property investment has made over its lifetime. It's true that property has grown by 30% and up to 50% per year in certain areas over the last couple of years, but the current property correction means that if you want to sell quickly in the current market, you'll have to lower your asking price.
Put some elbow grease into your private property sale
There are a couple of things you can do to make your property stand out from the crowd - YES, it works, and YES I'd recommend it in order of importance:
- Add some owner notes to your property. No one knows or loves your property the way you do. Tell prospective property buyers viewing your property online...
- why this is a great property to buy,
- why you love the neighborhood,
- what you can't see on the floor plan and photo's like an outside braai area,
- where the closest shops and schools are,
- what your property offers that similar properties in the area don't for example a cherry wood open plan kitchen or solar heating panels
- of plans you had for the property that you never got to for example by breaking out the kitchen wall this property lends itself to become an entertainers dream
- why you bought the property and why you're selling
- Invite buyers to ask questions about your property using the comment button provided at the bottom of each listing and to make offers using the "Make an Offer" button at the top of each listing
- and any other information about your property that a buyer might find useful.
- Add owner photos to your property. It might have been raining the day your house was listed or you've got some fabulous photos of your property with a great sunset or you would like to show more pictures of your pool and garden. You can upload these photos to your property, it only takes one minute.
- When a prospective buyer arranges to view your property you need to clean the Inside of your house, your garden and outside your yard.
- Inside
- Give your house a spring cleaning, a prospective buyer will perceive that there is less work to be done if your property is clean and neat
- Make your property look spacious by packing away items that you don't need or use, the more space, the better
- Ensure that all rooms are neat and there is nothing lying around
- If you have defective plumbing, fix it. You don't want to put off a prospective buyer because of a leaking tap that costs R100. The same goes for the rest of your house (plugs, cupboards, door knobs, lights, etc.)
- If your teenage kid painted her room shocking pink, you need to repaint it using natural colours
- Oil any squeaking part of your house
- Don't try to hide defects in your house as you can be held responsible for omitting such defects even after your sale.
- Make sure the house is cool in summer and warm in the winter
- Garden
- Mow the lawn
- Make sure the garden is in impeccable condition, the way you envisioned it when you moved in and never got the time to do
- If your shed looks like a dump, take it to the dump, it's not helping your sale
- Trim any plants that make obstruct any pathways
- Outside
- Make sure your gate and locks work property as well as any outside intercom system you might have
- Paint and repair the outside walls if need be
- Mow the lawn and remove any rubbish
- Inside
- Make a good impression on potential buyers by
- Being friendly without being in the way. Remember that the buyer is there to view your property, not to chat
- Don't down sell your property by saying anything negative about it
- Lock your pets away, it doesn't matter how cute you think they are
- Take the buyers number and offer the buyer a business card to easily contact you.
It is very important to remember that the property market is currently correcting. Thus, you need to put some effort into selling your property. By selling privately you've given yourself 7% commission, which would have gone to the agent, to play with. If you want to sell your property urgently, use the tips described above and marketing your property for 7% less.
