Preparing to go on the market
Quickguide: Preparing your property for sale >more
Home Reports: the key facts for sellers
Since 1st December 2008 a Seller who is marketing their property is required by law to provide you with a Home Report for their property. The Home Report is paid for by the Seller and is designed to ensure the potential buyer is more informed about a property before they consider submitting an offer and comprises three sections:
Single survey: this is compiled by a Chartered Surveyor and provides detailed information regarding the condition of the property and issues such as accessibility. It also contains a property valuation - the price which the surveyor deems the property is worth in current market conditions. The purpose is to give you information on which you can make a reasonable and informed decision on whether or not to proceed with the purchase. Click here to view a sample
Energy Performance Certificate: this is generally carried out by the same surveyor who conducts the single survey and it will provide you with an assessment on the property's energy efficiency rating and environmental impact. Improvements, if appropriate, are also suggested within the report. Click here to view a sample
Sellers Questionnaire: the seller will complete a property questionnaire which will include information such as council tax band, property enhancements and alterations made, car parking, responsibility for common areas (e.g. Factor's involvement) and other information relating to the property e.g. key utility providers and servicing records for heating/plumbing systems. Click here to view a sample
It is your responsibility to instruct the Home Report and to pay for it. We are here to help you every step of the way in getting your Home Report prepared and your property onto the market as soon as possible.
If you decide to sell your property as part of a private sale (i.e. you do not market the property) you will not need a Home Report unless the Purchaser insists that you get one. You will still need to obtain an Energy Performance Certificate if the property does not already have
Access To Home Reports
As members of the ESPC we instruct our Home Reports through their portal and this ensures that any potential purchaser who wishes to view the report can easily do so either through the ESPC or our own web-site.
The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors have produced detailed guidance on Home Reports for sellers and buyers which you should review click here.
Costs
The cost of a Home Report will vary according to the value of the property. The cost basically increases with every additional £100,000 of value and the range of costs is from less than £400 for properties below £100,000 in value up to in excess of £1,500 for properties over £1.5million.
Some surveyors will allow payment of the Home Report by instalments. We can arrange this for you if requested. Click here to arrange an appointment or give us a call on 0131-447-4747.
Pre-Sale valuations
Given the very subjective nature of valuing property and the relatively high cost of commissioning a Home Report it may be sensible to ask a surveyor to carry out a pre-sale valuation before you instruct a full Home Report. We can arrange this for you at very short notice. If you are happy with the valuation figure provided be the surveyor and then instruct the full Home Report then the cost of the pre-sale valuation will be deducted from the cost of the full Home Report.
Click here for common questions about Home Reports: FAQs Home Reports
Preparing your property for viewing: quick guide
First Impressions Matter - ensure that your property is presented to the market in the best possible condition. You only get one chance to create a first impression so make sure that the entrance of the property is looking at its best. Go to the other side of the street - how does your house compare with the neighbouring properties? Does the garden need tidied up or could it do with a few flowers to brighten it up? Is the paintwork in need of freshening up? Do the windows need a quick wash? Is the stairwell clean and tidy? Surveys tell us that most purchasers make up their minds about a property within minutes of arriving so make that first impression a good one.
De-Clutter: de-clutter the property by removing any large unnecessary items of furniture, children's toys, dog baskets etc. You want to create a feeling of space. Small rooms can be transformed by a large mirror on the wall.
Turn on the lights: a dark, badly lit entrance hall will immediately create a negative impression. If the hallway is naturally dark then make sure that you provide the light to make it feel warm and welcoming.
Make the most of your kitchen and bathroom: make sure that your kitchen is spotless. Greasy hobs, crumby surfaces and sticky floors are an immediate turn off. Make sure the work surfaces are clear and that none of the kitchen appliances are running when you are viewing the property. Spruce up the bathroom. Make sure that the mirror and tiles are sparkling and there isn't any grimy rim around the bath tub or loo. A couple of expensive looking soaps, a plant to bring some colour and a fresh matching towel set will help to make a gleaming impression.
Remove pets from the property: remove pets from
the property at viewing times along with their baskets or cages.
You don't wish any distractions from the property itself and there
is nothing more aggravating for a purchaser than a small dog
yapping away constantly.
Minimize your personal marks: when preparing your
property for sale, remember that your utmost priority should be to
create an environment that the potential buyer can picture him or
herself living in. This means you should remove any excessive
personal effects from open display. If you have family portraits
everywhere or your children's drawings all over the fridge, it
becomes more difficult for the potential buyer to feel at home.
Prepare your sales pitch: have a good think
about what you want to bring to the purchaser's attention in every
room. Highlight the good points and if there are no obvious good
points to highlight then that is when you should talk about more
general - the lovely neighbours, the local shopping and
schools.
Get your viewers contact details: ask your viewers
to leave a note of their name and contact details on a sheet of
paper as they leave the house. This can be passed to your agent who
will then attempt to contact the viewer for feedback. Any feedback,
whether negative or positive, is invaluable to you in achieving a
sale. If your agent doesn't call back viewers then it is time for
you to look for a new agent!!
To arrange a free market appraisal for your property, click here
