How fast will my house sell?
It’s a question I get often. At most valuation appointments, in fact.
The short answer is:
It Depends.
What does it depend on?
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION is the single biggest factor. Properties located in popular towns or streets with lots of buyer demand will sell quickly. Within a town, the exact street your house is on can make a big difference in people’s interest. This is simply a result of numbers of people looking. If we take Doncaster, there are large numbers of people looking to buy at any given time in (for instance) Lakeside, Woodfield Plantation or Hastings. In the current market these properties can sell in a matter of weeks. In fact, it’s best not to accept the first offer so that you can gain the maximum price.
Meanwhile properties in areas where less people are looking will sell slower. This does not mean there is a problem with your property. Along with Doncaster itself, I sell a lot of houses in the small towns villages in North Lincolnshire. Whilst these are highly desirable locations it can often take longer for properties to sell simply because there are less buyers in the market at any one time.
Another consideration is the asking price. Go high and the sale will be slower. Go low and there will be big demand which will leads to lots of viewings and a fast sale. I would also say that putting your property on the market at a competitive price will also ultimately get you the higher amount – we want to create masses of interest and push that price up. Meanwhile, if a property is over priced buyers will understand this and it will sit on the market for months until the price is lowered to meet the market demand.
Buyers now have a huge amount of knowledge and access to lots of online valuation tools – they will have a very good idea of the market value of your house well before they book a viewing. It has to be priced at a figure that is competitive.
Finally, presentation of the property is so important. It needs to be shown off to its absolute maximum potential. Most buyers want as simple a move as possible with minimum work and cost to get moved in. De-cluttering a property and some decorating go a massive way to increasing interest and making sure your property sells fast. Those pictures we post on Rightmove are all important, so make sure they show your house at its best!