If you’re looking to move house in North Wales, you might be wondering if the time is right. As a leading estate agent in Llangefni, Bangor, Holyhead, Gwynedd and Anglesey we’re asked a lot of questions about this. People wonder if houses are selling in Wales right now and, more to the point if they are selling fast.
It’s true that higher interest rates have put a squeeze on mortgages, meaning that buying a home is less affordable for some purchasers, reducing demand and house prices.
However, buyers are still out there, and if you need to move for more space, a job or a school, there is no reason why you shouldn’t achieve a sale.
The key to making a quick sale for the optimum price is presenting your home in the best way while getting the right advice from your estate agent team and being organised at every stage. To help you, we go through the sales process with tips for each step.
1 Prepare your home for sale
Start getting your home ready to sell as soon as possible. Be thorough and ruthless – you need to depersonalise the space so people can see themselves living there. The better your home looks, the more likely you are to get a quick sale:
Sort out any outstanding repair jobs.
Give it a lick of paint in light, neutral colours.
Declutter, removing as much as possible from all surfaces.
Put excessive furniture in storage to create more space.
2 Find out how much your home is worth
You need to know the likely selling price so you can work out how much you can afford if you are stepping up to a new home:
Decide how you are going to sell your home – this will depend on your priorities – i.e. achieving the highest price vs securing a quick sale:
Most people go down the high street estate agent route, which gives you the support of a local firm, ideally with good knowledge of the market in your area. You usually will be charged commission as a percentage of the sale price.
Online agents are an option, but they may charge you a flat fee upfront regardless of whether the home sells. You will need to do more of the work yourself, including conducting viewings.
Auctions might be the answer for quick sales and homes that are difficult to sell, but you need to understand how these work. For more help with this method, contact our All Wales Auction team on 01248753939.
If you’re desperate to move, house buying companies will offer to buy your home quickly. If you go down this route, shop around, read the small print carefully and get proper advice as often they may expect to buy at a heavy discount.
You don’t have to use an agent at all, but without one, you won’t be able to list your home on the property portals such as Rightmove and On The Market or, of course, tppuk.com, the leading property website for North Wales.
4 Get an Energy Performance Certificate
Every home on the market needs an energy performance certificate (EPC) to show its energy efficiency on a scale of A to G (with A being the most efficient). You don’t need a new one if your home has been sold within the past 10 years. However, if you’ve added energy efficient improvements, such as double glazing or insulation, it might be worth repeating the inspection to demonstrate your home’s credentials.
5 Put your house on the market
When your home is ready, it’s time to choose your estate agent. Don’t necessarily go for the highest valuation or cheapest fees. Instead, look at their track record of selling in the area.
Think carefully about pricing in the current market. Over-pricing your home could mean it lingers on the books for too long – get advice from your agent.
Check that your home’s marketing materials do it justice, with great photos and blurb that picks out all the key benefits, such as good schools and transport.
Get your viewings right – you only have one chance, so make sure the home is pristine. If your agent is conducting viewings, respond quickly with answers to any queries.
6 Hire a conveyancing solicitor
Conveyancing is the legal work associated with buying and selling. You will need to factor in conveyancing fees. Look for recommendations, good reviews and someone you can work with – don’t just go for the cheapest.
7 Accept an offer
When the offers come in, think about your priorities. Not all offers are the same, and a cash buyer in a strong position to move has more going for them than someone tied up in a long property sale.
8 Exchange of contracts
Your solicitor will agree on a date to exchange contracts with your buyer’s team. On the exchange date, your buyer will pay the deposit on the home, and the sale becomes legally binding for you both.
9 Move out and complete the sale
The completion date is usually around two to four weeks after the exchange. It’s the day when ownership of the property changes from seller to buyer, so you need to be ready to hand over the keys and move out. If you’re part of a chain, all transactions will conclude at that time. Congratulations, your sale is complete!
If you are considering selling your property in North Wales, we can help. Our experienced team have helped many people move, some in complex situations. Almost half of our business comes from recommendations, demonstrating people trust us with their property. Get in touch today.
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Williams & Goodwin The Property People are members of the Guild of Property Professionals, National Association of Estate Agents, Association of Residential Lettings Agents, National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers and are Chartered Valuation Surveyors we are members of a National Network of approximately 800 independently owned and operated Estate Agents.
Well what can we say, a brilliant service from Caron Sally and Gemma and Amy , they went out of their way to make our journey less stressful, Caron was always there to listen to me when I was worried about anything, and thank you also to Dafydd .
Ceuron Parry
Gemma, our estate agent, truly made the process of buying our first home a breeze. From the very beginning, she was incredibly supportive and attentive to our needs, guiding us through every step with patience and expertise. Her in-depth knowledge of the local market and her keen eye for detail help...
Catherine Fiona Richmond
Absolutely 💯 % customer service keeping everyone up-to-date in the process
John Lewis
Williams And Goodwin at Llangefni provided an excellent service throughout the process of selling our property. Caron and her colleagues were very efficient and helpful. Initial valuation was well organised turned out to be very accurate. Enquiries were handled quickly and effectively. Very useful t...
Llinos
Hoffwn ddiolch i TPPUK am werthu fy eiddo ar fy rhan. Roedd Dafydd yn wych a’r broses gyfan yn ddi-drafferth. Roedd Gemma yn y swyddfa yn arbennig ac yn fy niweddaru’n gyson ar ddatblygiadau. Buaswn yn argymell TPPUK I rywun sy’n meddwl gwerthu- proffesiynol a gwasanaeth cwsmer rhagorol.
Diane Foster-Deam
We have had a 7 month marathon,from putting an offer on a property,to exchange of contracts. We have had pretty poor communication from solicitors,who have made this journey very stressful. The only saving grace has been Gemma, from williams and goodwin. Her support and professionalism has been out...
John Lewis
Williams And Goodwin at Llangefni provided an excellent service throughout the process of selling our property. Caron and her colleagues were very efficient and helpful. Initial valuation was well organised turned out to be very accurate. Enquiries were handled quickly and effectively. Very useful t...
Dean
Highly recommend the team at Holyhead Williams & Goodwin. From beginning to the end. Firstly very prompt in getting a valuation done on the property, Matthew came out very prepared with a folder with all information on previous sales and houses similar currently on market and other factors which...
David Simpson
Very pleased with the service provided by Williams & Goodwin in selling my parents’ house. Everyone was helpful and professional, all along, starting with Matthew at the initial meetings and Jamie throughout viewings, reviews etc. in the later stages Charlotte has been especially dedicated and...
Alison Wakeman
The professionalism of the staff at Williams-Goodwin (Holyhead) in particular Charlotte is absolutely superb. We were in a very sad situation of having to sell my father's bungalow to support his residential care. Although Jamie and Matthew were also involved, initially with the valuation and phot...
