Attracting Potential Buyers To A Property
Who are the best people to sell my house to, and why?
In an ideal world, obviously, you'd love to sell your property to someone with a big bank full of cash, but unfortunately, money laundering has put pay to that; these days the word cash has been supplanted by 'not in a chain.' So what you want to look for is someone who's not in a chain and preferably has all their finances organized already.
How do I attract first time buyers?
First time buyers are going to obviously be looking at smaller and lower priced properties, there's no point in assuming that a first time buyer is going to buy a big family house or anything like that. But what first time buyers really like is being able to put their own imprint on their property so it's probably a good idea to make sure that your property is neutrally decorated, it's a very neutral place. That's going to help attract first time buyers.
How do I attract chain-free buyers?
Everyone's nightmare is being stuck in a chain and I am afraid the only real way of finding out whether your buyer is in a chain or not is once your solicitor is in touch with their solicitor. Their solicitor will tell you whether or not they are having to sell another property. If you obviously discovered someone who has said they are not in a chain is in a chain, chances are you want to stop the transaction there and then because you could be caught up for months.
Who are the worst people to try to sell my house to?
The only people you really need to be wary of are people who haven't yet sold their property. My sales people, for example, when they have someone register with them, will ask "Have you sold your property yet? Do you need to sell your property before you buy?" Obviously, if the answer to that question is "yes" then we want to know how we can help sell the property they've got. You want to make sure the person you are selling to is actually in a position to buy.
How do I make sure I don't attract timewasters?
There's only one person who knows whether your buyer is a timewaster, and that's your estate agent. So you really want to chat to your estate agents or ask the prospective buyers the right question. The very first question that your estate agent should be asking is, "Have you got to sell something before you buy my property?" If they've got to sell something before they buy the property, then obviously they're not worth dealing with, and I think they're a timewaster.
Should I ask for proof of financing from a potential buyer?
It's certainly an entirely sensible thing to do, to ask for proof of financing. The buyer doesn't have to produce it, but if they don't, there's every reason to suggest that perhaps they're trying to hide something.
