Finances first 

Before you put your house on the market, it’s important to work out whether it’s an affordable decision to sell up and move. Existing mortgage terms can incur early repayment charges if you move before they end, and if you want to move to a more expensive property, you should find out how much you can borrow on the best deal.  

Stamp duty also plays a key part in the selling and buying process, but since July the threshold has been raised from £125,000 to £500,000 until March next year. Meaning you now pay 5% on properties up to £925k; 10% up to £1.5m and 12% above that.  

Suzanne’s Tip: It’s worth getting expert advice from our in-house mortgage brokers before setting up the photographer to get your home online. That way, you can find out exactly how much you can borrow. 

Declutter  

Sprucing up your home before valuation, listing and viewings is essential, and decluttering gives potential buyers a blank canvas to imagine how they’d live in the space. It’s vital that your home doesn’t feel too over-personalised, so it’s a good idea to hide family portraits or children’s artwork that might distract buyers from seeing your property’s full potential. And don’t forget your kerb appeal i.e. the outside space – clean windows and repaired fences can make all the difference to a sale. In fact, 68% of homeowners agree that kerb appeal is important in their choice of home. 

At Urban Village, we advise on whether home improvements are worth the cost, or if a fresh coat of paint and new taps will be just as effective as a full bathroom renovation. Plus, we offer a free home staging consultation that can help you make the best use of your property – whether that’s advice on how to reorganise and style your home or maximise the space for potential buyers. 

Major issues such as damp, dry rot, Japanese Knotweed or subsidence will be picked up in a house survey – which we can make the call on whether to fix issues or factor these in as a future cost for a buyer in your asking price. Full transparency is key when selling your home. And remember, some people are openly looking for a ‘fixer-upper’ so what might be an inconvenience to you might well be an exciting project for them. 

Time for a valuation 

We know the South London area like the back of our hand – where to eat and socialise, where to exercise, what’s on in the area and where to live to find the best schools, parks and outdoor spaces, doctor’s surgeries etc. Which is why setting the right price for your home comes easy to us. We know that putting prices too high can put people off; too low and your house will be undervalued. But, working with recent market activity, we can explain our suggested worth and share examples of how much similar properties have sold for in the last few months.  

Plus, we can you offer three figures: the highest price your property can achieve; our suggested selling price; and our estimated eventual selling price. Giving you a clear understanding of the true value of your home. 

Suzanne’s Tip: Urban Village have a proven track record of selling properties in Denmark Hill and its surrounding locations – so you can be sure our valuations are spot on. And if you disagree, we are always open for a discussion. Plus, our fees are outlined clearly from the get-go, so once you’ve instructed us to sell your home, there won’t be any hidden extras.  

Renting or buying? 

Buying a new place generally takes 6-12 weeks from having an offer accepted through to completion – should nothing go wrong that will lead to delays. But when you’re in a long chain, it can take up to six months to complete. And while it’s perfectly acceptable to put an offer on a property when your house is still up for sale, it’ll be taken more seriously if your own home is also under offer – plus,  you’ll be in a better position to negotiate on price.  

However, if you’re under no pressure to move into a new home straightaway, sometimes it’s a good idea to break the chain and move into a rented property after the sale of your home. While this will add to the overall expense, it means you won’t have to compromise on your sale price or feel rushed into buying a less-than-perfect home just because you’ve found the ideal buyer. Plus, because you’re breaking a potentially lengthy housing chain, you suddenly become a more attractive buyer.  

Got an offer on your property?  

After appointing Urban Village as your sole estate agent, we will take professional standard photos to market your home – a picture really is worth a thousand words and with most buyers searching online, great photos of your property are an absolute must, supported by a floorplan and engaging description.   

Once marketed, we will conduct viewings on your behalf, showcasing your property in its best light, with extensive knowledge about the street, local area and transport links. Or we can arrange an open house – saving time in the long run, this allows the public to view your house across one or two days. A major benefit for sellers as it saves the effort of cleaning the property from top to bottom before every viewing and condenses all potential buyers into one agreed time.  

Once you’re happy with an offer, you can formally accept it. Remember, this isn’t legally binding and you can change your mind before exchanging contracts – we can also recommend conveyancing surveyors to handle this legal work (we suggest booking this as soon as your offer is accepted). Then you can start house-hunting and, once you’ve found your dream home – or you’ve decided to rent – you and the buyer can decide the length of time between exchange and completion – this is usually 7-28 days. You will also need to agree what fixtures and fittings will be included and any discounts due to problems flagged in the survey. 

Exchanging contracts is then the key milestone when selling your house – followed by the day you complete and move out – not forgetting to drop your keys at the Urban Village office, ready to give to your buyer. 

Suzanne’s Tip: It’s a good idea to start researching removals companies once you have agreed a sale – that way, you can find the right one for you at the best cost.  

Selling your home doesn’t have to be stressful – and it’s about making the right choices for you. If an open house is more suitable, we can arrange it. But if you’d prefer to be at home when potential buyers visit, we can also accommodate for that. Urban Village will support you at each stage – from the initial decluttering to advice on boxing up your possessions for the big move. And with local area knowledge, we can even find your next new home. Contact us or give us a call on 0203 519 9121 for some friendly advice about your property journey and chat to one of our experienced agents.