Advertising Private Sales
What documents do I need to have ready before selling my property?
The documents that it's useful to have ready before you sell your home are things like damp-proof and woodworm guarantees, any test certificates you've had for your electricity and gas system, any bills that you've had that can show that you've regularly serviced your boiler. And, if you've done any building, or structural work to your house, then you will need to have at hand any planning permissions or any building regulation permissions.
What are Home Information Packs and how will they affect me?
A Home Information Pack is a pack of information that from the summer of 2007 you will be obliged to compile before you sell your house. It'll include all the documents that are needed to sell a house for the exchange of contract legally, later on. And it'll also require a home energy report as well.
Where should I advertise my property?
Well, the very first place that you should advertise your property is actually outside your own house. The very best selling tool is a "For Sale" board, and you really must have one of these because that's the quickest, that's the way that most people find a new house. Then, I would say, local advertising in a local newspaper or a regional newspaper. Or, if your house is special or is in an area where there is a lot of demand for property or you've got a high-value property, you could consider advertising in one of the national newspapers; the "Sunday Times," I think, people say is particularly successful. But also it is very important to remember you must always put a photograph in any advertising you do privately.
What details should any advert contain?
Any advert should contain the following details - the location of the property: don't put the name of the road in, put the general location in, because if you just put the road in, people who are looking from outside that area won't necessarily know where that road is. So put a general area in, like Hackney, Clapham or Wandsworth for example. And then, it's important to put the number of bedrooms in; the number of reception rooms and any special rooms that you might have, like a study or a conservatory. A garage is always important to mention, but if you haven't got a garage, off-street parking can be a very important selling point. And if you have a south or west facing garden, mention that as well. And if you have a particularly lovely garden, put "landscaped garden," and if it's nice and long, put the length of the garden in as well. And again, a photograph is absolutely essential.
Should the advert include a photograph of the property?
When it comes to advertising a private house sale, the advert itself should include a photograph of the property. The best photograph is one of the exterior of the house. However, if you are selling a flat, choose the nicest room in the house and photograph that.
Should the advert include a floor plan of the property?
When it comes to advertising the private sale of your house, the advertisement shouldn't include a floor plan of the property because a floor plan is a very detailed and quite large illustration. It is good to include a floor plan in the property details, but you wouldn't be able to use a floor plan in a newspaper advert.
Should the advert include the full address of the property?
The advertisement shouldn't include the full address of the property for security reasons. It's much better just to put a mobile phone number or a work phone number, or even the home phone number on the details, so that when people ring you to view the house, you can vet them on the phone to make sure that you're quite happy for them to have your address.
What is a property board and what information should I put on it?
When advertising the private sale of your house, a property board is the "for sale" board that goes outside your house or flat. The only information you need to put on the property board is that it's for sale, although you could put "3 bedroom house," "2 bedroom flat". You could put some very brief details of what the house for sale is and I would put in a mobile phone number, or a work phone number, but not a home phone number. Putting your home number on the property board might be easy for a burglar just to ring the number, find you weren't in, and then burgle your house.
How much will it cost to advertise my home in a newspaper?
When it comes to advertising the private sale of your house, the cost to advertise your house in a newspaper will depend on which newspaper you decide to advertise in, and for how long you want the advertisement to carry on being run. It's always worthwhile asking your local newspaper, regional newspaper or national newspaper that you've decided to advertise and whether they've got any special deals at the moment for running the ad campaign. Quite often they do three for the price of two, that kind of offer. Advertising in the newspaper can be very expensive advertising, especially in national newspapers; you probably won't get much change out of 25 pounds. However, advertising the private sale of house in local newspapers shouldn't cost you more than between 75p and 1 pound.
How do I use fliers to advertise my home?
I wouldn't suggest you use fliers to advertise your home. its not the normal way of doing it, and unless someone on your street is going to want to buy your home, I really wouldn't suggest you do it.
