A Quick Sale Launches a Homeowner's Guide to Selling Houses Quickly

(PRWeb) December 7, 2006 -- Leading property buyer, A Quick Sale, in partnership with property expert, Lisa Orme, have issued some top tips to help house sellers achieve a quick sale on their property, even within the current UK housing market.

The tips on how to sell a house quickly (http://www.a-quick-sale.co.uk/how-to-sell-a-house-quickly/ ) have been created by A Quick Sale (http://www.a-quick-sale.co.uk/ ) in partnership with Lisa Orme, to aid struggling house sellers deal with the increasingly difficult UK property market. With house prices increasing by an average of 4.9% across the country during the last 12 months, combined with recent interest rate rises, the house sale process (http://www.a-quick-sale.co.uk/house-sale-process/ ) has never been more of an art than it is now.

Recent research has shown that the average UK property is currently taking around six and a half weeks to sell with 11 viewings per property before a sale is agreed - plus an additional eight to ten weeks for the sale to complete. It is also important to note that, for any homeowners who are still hoping for a quick sale of their house before Christmas, that the market is typically a lot slower across the festive season through to March.

As the number of sellers experiencing difficulties in the market increases, it becomes even more important to ensure everything is being done to maximise the potential of a property, as it is often the little things that make the difference between a sale and a fail.

Kerb appeal - First impressions are key. An unkempt garden, disheveled paint work or obvious structural problems are likely to put prospective buyers off immediately. Vendors should make sure the exterior of their property is welcoming in order to turn 'drive-bys' into viewings.

De-personalize - Buyers should be able to see beyond the possessions of the vendor. Items which represent a personal hobby, interest, or collection, should be hidden so that potential buyers are not distracted from the essential components of the house.

Finish any DIY jobs! - It can be tempting to leave DIY jobs half-done, however, A Quick Sale advises all vendors to make sure any jobs - no matter how small - are completed before viewings start. Interested parties may simply see extra work to be done and be put off.

Clean kitchens and bathrooms - For cleanliness, these two rooms need to score high. The kitchen and bathroom gather the most amount of germs and dirt so it is vital that they are scrubbed and polished before any viewings. Simple things like replacing an old shower curtain, putting out fresh towels, doing washing up and getting rid of stubborn oven stains can make all the difference.

Keep it neutral - It's impossible to know whether a buyer likes green walls or will favor floral wallpaper. To avoid putting them off, A Quick Sale advises vendors cover up bright splashes of color and go for neutral shades like magnolia for walls and warm beiges for carpets. To add character and vibrancy, use accessories like flowers, pictures or candles that can be removed when the property is sold.

Don't enter long contracts with estate agents - Many estate agents require commitments to extensive exclusive contracts, which make it impossible to appoint another agent if the first one doesn't perform. The best estate agents usually only require a short (e.g. two week) notice period, because they are confident in their ability to achieve a sale. Being locked into a long contract with a poorly performing estate agent is a major reason why many houses sit on the market for months or years.

Richard Watters, Managing Director of A Quick Sale, said: "At A Quick Sale we are coming across more and more people struggling to sell their homes. Some vendors have had their properties on the market for months, even a year or more, and have had no promise of a sale.

"While A Quick Sale does offer solutions for many people looking for a speedy sale, these simple tips from Lisa Orme can give vendors a helping hand in getting their homes on and off the market in record time."

A Quick Sale offers an open and honest service to customers in a range of circumstances that need to sell their homes quickly, including those who are facing repossession (http://www.a-quick-sale.co.uk/repossession/ ) due to financial difficulties (http://www.a-quick-sale.co.uk/financial-money/ ). Directors and franchisees of the company know that the packages they offer aren't the right answer for everyone and only offer a solution once all other alternatives have been explored. There are no hidden charges - unlike other property purchase companies, no survey fees are charged and the company will pay for solicitor's fees up to £500.

Ptarmigan Consultants
423 Kirkstall Road
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS4 2EZ
UK
Tel: 0113 242 1155

About A Quick Sale (http://www.a-quick-sale.co.uk/about/ )
A Quick Sale is a property investment company launched in October 2003, which offers an open and honest solution to people needing to sell their houses quickly. Having successfully franchised since 2004, A Quick Sale is now the UK's leading property buyer. With offices throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, A Quick Sales offers tailor-made solutions to buy houses direct from the vendor offering a 'trade offer' for a person's home, which is usually 75% - 90% of the open-market value. In return, they provide a rapid, professional and trusted service to release equity with no added costs or fees.

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