Agents Can Lead to More Successful Sales

Estate agents are often seen as ineffective in property sales, but new research has highlighted the efforts they actually put into a sale. Often these areas are not seen or acknowledged, but they can go a long way to making a property more sellable or increasing the value.

This latest research has shown that agents can be more beneficial to the sale of a property than you first think. The study, which was commissioned by Big Yellow Self Storage, found that agents would actually clean up a house or put items away before a viewing if they thought this would help the sale.

A bad or off-putting smell can be a turn-off for many buyers, so 36% of agents stated that they’d opened windows because of nasty odours. Another 17% had had to use air freshener in the house. Furthermore, estate agents had actually helped smarten up a property prior to a viewing. 31% had put items under the bed, 29% of them had tidied up and 21% had hidden things away in a cupboard.

There are many tricks that can be used to brighten up a room and give it a nicer atmosphere. Carrying these out before a potential buyer turns up can provide a better impression of the property. In the research, 22% of estate agents said that they had switched on lights and 15% had made some fresh coffee. 12% of them had even had to flush a toilet before viewings.

Increasing the Sale Price

As well as helping make a property more sellable, estate agents also understand what areas can help to increase the price it sells for. They have a number of top tips which have also been revealed through this research.

Some small areas could actually add nearly £1000 to the price without requiring too much work. The study found that you could add over £900 simply by putting small kitchen appliances away, having an open-plan space or de-personalising the house. For houses with large and bulky furniture, removing some items to create more space could add up to 11% to the sale price.

Space is at a premium in many properties, and increasing the amount available in your home could make it more appealing to potential buyers. If you have a larger home with an extension or an external staircase, then this can help, but there are other ways in which you can make the property appear bigger. A cluttered home can put 20% of buyers off, but it doesn’t take much time to tidy up and remove some items. Amongst estate agents, 95% said that a home will sell for a higher price if it is clutter-free.

Whatever features your home has, from a large garden with an external staircase to a stunning loft conversion, you need to ensure that the rest of the property exceeds buyers’ expectations. Reorganising the house and tidying away personal items and clutter can go a long way to achieving a quick sale.