How to stay safe when selling your property this winter

As the nights draw in and the air turns colder, many people are happy to escape the chill by closing the curtains and locking the door when they get home from work.

For some house sellers, though, early evening may be the only time slot they have available to show prospective buyers around their property. As it gets darker much earlier, it is therefore important to take certain precautions to ensure a safe and successful viewing.

Displaying your property’s best features is a key part of the selling process and can contribute towards achieving the highest property value, but permitting strangers to enter your home without an appointment could be asking for trouble. Whilst a ‘For Sale’ board can be a great marketing tool, it may sometimes lead to someone turning up on the door and asking for a viewing right there and then.

As estate agents working across the South of England, we have used our knowledge to come up with a list of do’s and don’ts to guarantee a safe and hassle-free viewing experience…

Surprise visit
Should someone turn up unannounced, without an appointment, expecting to view the property there and then, you are well within your rights to respectfully refer them to your agent to rearrange for another time that better suits you.

Safety in numbers
If you are carrying out the viewing alone and don’t feel entirely comfortable with that thought, then don’t hesitate to ask a friend, family member or neighbour to accompany you.

Details, details, details
Ensure that you have the right name and contact details for each viewer and ask them to confirm these details upon arrival. This isn’t a paranoid or over-the-top measure; it’s just being sensible and vigilant.

Don’t give too much away
It’s important that you are kind, welcoming and courteous when conducting a viewing, as you obviously want to make a good impression and put across your home’s main selling points. However, it’s equally important that you don’t provide too much personal information. Also, be wary of any conversations that go down the path of your holiday or work plans, or questions about when the property is likely to be empty. It could be nothing, but it’s best to proceed with caution here.

Agent advice
If you do decide to go it alone and conduct the viewings yourself, it’s still a good idea to seek out your agent for expert advice on how to do it well.

If in doubt…
If you have any doubts about carrying out a viewing off your own back, ask your agent to conduct the viewing on your behalf instead. If this is the case, you should make sure that your agent has a set of keys and that the house is ready for a viewing at any time of the day.

Most house viewings pass by without a fuss, but it’s still important to be aware of the associated risks (however small these may be) to ensure you remain safe at all times when trying to sell your property.

For advice on buying and selling your property, you can contact us on: 08448 099931. To find out the value of your property, check out our handy instant online valuation tool.

http://chimneypotsestateagent.co.uk/how-to-stay-safe-when-selling-your-property-this-winter/

Calling all landlords: rents in England and Wales reach an all-time high

Rents have edged to a new all-time high of £768 per month across England and Wales, according to a recent Buy-to-Let Index. As a result, we believe that now is as good a time as any for landlords to let out their properties.

The average of £768 per month, recorded by Reed Rains and Your Move, is £10 higher than the September 2013 figure. Regionally speaking, rents in five out of ten regions of England and Wales are higher than a year ago. The fastest annual increase was seen in the East of England, at 3.1%, followed closely by the South West at 2.3% and London with a 2.2% jump in rents since September last year.

A new all-time record was also seen in September’s total gross returns of 13.4%, better than both August 2014 and the previous high witnessed in April 2010, when total returns reached 12.9%.
This means, in absolute terms, that the average landlord in England and Wales has seen a return on their investment. Before payments for upkeep and mortgage payments are taken out, landlords could expect an average return of £22,706 in the last year. This combines rental income of £8,379 and an average capital gain of £14,327.

If rent prices carry on growing at the same pace as the last three months, then the average Buy-to-Let investor in England and Wales could expect to make an overall annual return of 22.1% over the next year, or £40,489 per property.


This favourable market is widely considered to be due to a combination of low interest rates and steady growth in property values and with an interest rate rise not due until some time in 2015, it will remain an easy and profitable time for landlords to grow their portfolios.

Elsewhere, interestingly, findings released last week by Rental Raters show that many private tenants spend hardly any time at all inspecting a property before deciding to make it their home. They don’t tend to explore every nook and cranny with a fine toothcomb, as over half of tenants say ‘yes’ to a new home after less than twenty minutes viewing the property, whilst 19% will decide after less than ten minutes and, astonishingly, 14% of tenants will never even visit the property they plan to live in. In addition, 64% of renters will make just one visit to a property before choosing it as their new abode.

With tenants spending so little time picking over a property, it is therefore vitally important that landlords make sure the homes they are looking to rent out are in excellent order. They need to stand out in a crowded, fast-paced, ultra-competitive market, giving prospective tenants the ‘wow’ factor and making sure the property in question is too good to turn down. Upkeep plays a big part here.

Making sure the property is in great condition, by carrying out the necessary maintenance and repairs, will definitely appeal more to tenants than a house that is not so well-looked after.

Furthermore, with some people not even visiting properties in person before moving in, the online advert becomes all-important, as this is what would-be tenants will be basing their decision on. First impressions become vital. The advert, blurb and accompanying photos all need to appeal. This is where your agent will help you, using their expertise to make sure the advert is as attractive as possible as a selling tool.

According to recent findings, five tenants are now pursuing every rental property. With demand now hugely outstripping supply, the pressure on tenants to quickly secure a rental home is intense. This is where landlords can take advantage, by offering a good and reliable package in a quick and easy manner.

Estate agents working across the South of England, Chimney Pots offer a free and instant online valuation of your rental property. In addition, we provide a step by step guide for landlords. For any advice on renting your property, contact us on: 0844 809 993.

How to conduct a successful viewing

Many sellers like to be present at a house viewing and some even like to show prospective buyers around the property themselves. This is often because they feel that due to their intimate knowledge of the property, they may be able to put across its main plus points in a more convincing manner.

Using our experience as estate agents working across the south of England, below, we detail some of the key considerations for a positive property viewing.

Prepare for the viewing in advance
Giving your property the ‘show home’ treatment by making sure it is thoroughly cleaned, uncluttered and well-presented will improve your chances of securing a sale before the buyer has even walked through the door. Naturally, people will be more attracted to a well-cared for and well-kept house, so carrying out some TLC will give your sales pitch that added boost.

Depersonalise to ensure that the buyer can imagine the home as their own – if it feels too personal and homely still, the buyer might feel like they are intruding.




Don’t be too eager
You want to put across the best aspects of your home in a passionate way, but you must be careful to not go too over-the-top, as this could be off-putting to the would-be buyer. Try not to be too chatty – less is often more in these cases – and don’t bring emotion into proceedings. Buyers are likely to see straight through this, plus emotion and house sales don’t generally tend to mix well.

Make them comfortable
For a successful viewing, prospective buyers need to feel comfortable in their surroundings and they need to visualise themselves living in the house. The presence of a seller might make a buyer awkward, they might be more reluctant to snoop and explore every nook and cranny. Give them the freedom to explore and don’t be too overbearing. However, you should be on hand to answer questions when needed. If you’re clipping at the buyers heels throughout the whole viewing, they are less likely to get a proper ‘feel’ for the place and are therefore less likely to place an offer.

Avoid the clichés
Freshly baked bread and a pot of coffee to give off a warm and cosy vibe probably won’t sit well with buyers, who will spot your tactics from a mile off and will subsequently develop some cynicism about your motivations. Try and be as natural as you can and don’t try and predict what your buyers will be looking for. It’ll just come across as false.

Keep it friendly but professional
Be warm and courteous when welcoming your viewers, but be sure to keep things on a strictly professional basis. Being too over-friendly is often a tell-tale sign of a sellers’ desperation to sell.

Best room first
Begin the tour downstairs and always show off your best room first. Don’t be afraid to point out the main features and benefits, but don’t turn it into an overlong speech. Keep things short and sweet, and put across facts and major selling points in a simple and easy-to-understand manner.

Follow-up afterwards
If the potential buyer leaves their contact details and indicates a desire to re-visit the property at some point, waste no time in contacting your estate agent to tell them this. The agent should then promptly follow up with the buyer and turn any concrete interest into a second viewing and a possible offer.

Finally, a few definite do’s and don’ts when it comes to viewings. Do make sure your home is in top condition; be friendly but not too over-enthusiastic; have copies of all domestic bills on hand; and keep the kids and family pets well away from matters.

On the other hand, don’t talk too much, don’t point out defects or DIY disasters (this kind of speaks for itself), don’t make disparaging remarks about your neighbours or neighbourhood and don’t set limits to the buyer on the property value. Leave that to your agent.

If you are thinking of selling your property and would like to know how much it could be worth in today’s market, you can get an instant online valuation using our value my property tool.

Alternatively, for any advice on buying or selling a property, contact us on: 08448 099931