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As the housing market begins to cool it’s
vital to know what buyers are looking for in a home. The Nationwide
recently commissioned a survey and came up with these top 10 tips
for sellers. Most are fairly obvious but worth keeping in mind, the
majority cost nothing to implement except a little effort on the
seller’s behalf. 2. Be polite – nearly everyone will go elsewhere when they encounter rudeness, be it from the seller or estate agent, and a smile costs nothing. 3. Eliminate smells – three quarters of people are likely to be deterred by a smelly home. 4. Fix DIY disasters – nearly all of potential buyers see these and poor building work as a major no-no. It could be worth getting a professional in to finish those projects. 5. Repair fence panels –80% would be put off with a garden that lacks privacy. While you’re about it give the whole outdoor space the once-over. 6. Introduce environmentally friendly features – solar panels now win out over attic conversions and period features. This may also score brownie points for the Energy Performance Certificate. 7. Concentrate on the kitchen – over half of potential purchasers say that this is the room above all others that will influence the decision to buy. 8. Don’t bother with decking – or the jacuzzi, these now just don’t cut the mustard. 9. Avoid the silly season – selling in the summer months can be slow as people go away on holiday. The same goes for the run up to Christmas, people are stressed enough at this time of year and a new home is at the bottom Christmas present list. 10. HIPS – the
Home Information Pack will most likely to apply to all house
sales by January 2008. Like it or loathe it, it will be a legal
requirement in most cases.
1st August 2007
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