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Our back-to-school guide for selling your home in Medway

It’s that time of year where the summer holidays seem to be racing through our fingertips; and the start of the new school year is upon us.  It’s also the time of year where many look to place their home on the market in the hope that they can be enjoying Christmas in their new abode.  Just as you’re getting things in place for your child’s new term; you should also be getting organised if you wish to sell your home this autumn. That’s why we have put together this back-to-school guide for selling your home in Medway – we don’t want you getting a detention!

Smart and presentable

Many children will be starting a new school and will have a brand-new uniform for their first day. Regardless of what they look like when they come home, you want them to arrive looking smart and presentable.  Just as you want your children to give a good first impression at school; so do you for your home when you are preparing it for sale.  No matter how it looks in normal daily life; the first impression you want buyers to have is of a beautifully organised home ready for them to make their own.

Getting to know you

From teachers to peers, it can be daunting at first getting to know others and working out who to trust. It can be the same when looking at which estate agent you want to represent you and your property when it comes onto the market.  At Century Residential we don’t just want to know about your home; by understanding your personal needs and circumstances we can provide a greater level of service. Every property has its weaknesses and strengths; and it’s our job to utilise its unique personality to attract the right buyer and deliver you a successful outcome.

Addicted to stationery

Who didn’t used to pop to Woolworths to get all their pens, pencils, files and essential items for the start of the school year? It was a right of passage.  You wanted to ensure that you’d thought of the small details as well as the big.  This is exactly the thought process you should have when getting your home ready for a viewing. Don’t just ‘polish your shoes’; but really make your property shine by cleaning your windows and keeping surfaces clear of clutter.  Then add those little finishing touches such as fresh flowers and perfectly placed accessories to bring your home to life.

Nervous and excited

Remember that feeling of the first day, whether it was at a new school or a new job; of being filled with a mixture of nerves and excitement.  This is often how potential buyers feel when they arrive to view your property; and we want this feeling to continue long after they leave.  This is why telling the story of your home is so essential. Sharing your stories and memories in a way that provides them with an insight into what their lives could be like if they decided this was the house for them.

Listen to feedback

It can be hard to listen to feedback, whether on a Zoom parents’ evening about how your child has progressed through these difficult times; or what a buyer thought about your home during a viewing. Never take it personal – at the end of the day, we both want the same result; to see your home sold, and feedback is a great, constructive way to find out what buyers are thinking and discover any niggles that we can overcome. Issues can often be resolved; and by working together and using the feedback as a guide, we can find that ideal buyer quicker.

Out of your hands

When you sit down to take a test or exam, you do everything you can to achieve the highest score possible; but then the result is out of your hands. Once you have received an offer, we ask that you trust us to negotiate on your behalf. Our team are skilled negotiators who excel in achieving the best possible price for your property.

The best support

Having the best support around you can see you achieve even greater things at school, work and in life; and the same goes for selling your home. It isn’t just the choice of estate agent that is crucial to the success of your sale, but also your choice of solicitor; as it’s after the offer has been accepted that the real work begins. Always do your research so you know that you have the right team beside you who will ensure your move is smooth and successful.

Get it in on time

Getting an assignment or a piece of work in late is always met with disapproval, and could have knock-on effects. In a sale, not returning documentation or calls could create delays and even cause your sale to collapse; as parties get nervous and suspicious. You can’t use the ‘dog ate my homework’ excuse here. Get your paperwork ready in advance so you can get it where it needs to be as quickly as possible.

Time to party

Every success should be celebrated, and you may already be planning the first party in your new home; bringing all your friends and family together at long last. We want to make sure that party happens; so contact our team today on 01634 570057 to get you through the gates of selling your home in Medway.

Content contributed by The Federation of Independent Agents.

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Demand for houses doubles!

Whether you’re a first-time buyer or a homeowner looking to move up the housing ladder; here’s how the surge in popularity for houses could impact you.

In search of a spacious new home? You’re not the only one. Demand for houses has more than doubled as buyers search for more space due to numerous lockdowns.

Family homes are the most sought-after type of property; with the number of buyers looking to snap one up soaring by a whopping 114% compared with levels typically seen at this time of year between 2017 and 2019.

But while demand for all types of houses, from terraced to detached, has more than doubled; the number of buyers looking to purchase a flat has risen by only 34%, according to Zooplas latest House Price Index report.

Why has demand risen?

On the one hand, demand for houses has been rocketed by the stamp duty holiday; with large savings on offer for larger properties (typically houses).

However, the high demand also reflects a surge in buyer interest for more space. The UK lockdowns have made people to reassess their homes and lifestyles. At the same time, the trend for working from home has prompted people to leave city centres in favour of more rural locations; which are more likely to consist of houses rather than flats.

What does this mean for you?

First-time buyers

It could be good news if you’re a first-time buyer looking to purchase a flat rather than a house. The cost of flats has risen much more slowly than property values across the wider housing market during the past year.

It’s worth remembering that there’s significant variation across the regions though. Price growth for flats is up 0.6% in the Southeast during the past 12 months, however prices for houses is up 6.5% in the Southeast. If you’re a first-time buyer eyeing a house, be prepared to face stiff competition. However, with no property to sell, you have an advantage over buyers in a property chain.

It’s important to remember that there are schemes available to help make buying your first home more affordable too; such as first-time buyer stamp duty relief and Help to Buy.

Home-movers

The soaring demand for houses means that if you are planning to sell a property, you could be in a good position to secure a quick sale. You will be more than likely to see it’s value rise during the past year too as price growth for houses has been particularly strong.

However, if you are selling a flat, you may find the gap between the value of your current home and the house you want to purchase has widened in recent months.

How can we help you?

Thinking of selling? Our free online valuation tool enables you to find out how much your existing property is likely to be worth, helping you to plan for your next purchase.

Looking for a new home? With competition intense, you can get ahead by registering with our team to receive alerts whenever a property that meets your criteria is listed for sale. Our advanced search tools also help you find properties in your price range and area that are already listed.

Whether you are buying or selling, in the current fast-paced market, we’re here to give you some friendly local expert advice, speak to a member of our team today.

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Shortfall in homes for sale leads to record-breaking house price increase

Here at Century Residential, we have witnessed an extraordinary demand for properties for sale, combined with a shortage of homes coming on the market in the last 7 months. According to Rightmove there was a 225,000 shortfall in homes available for sale in the first half of 2021! In the first half of this year 140,000 more sales were agreed than the 2014 to 2019 average; and yet homes available for sale were down 85,000, creating a 225,000 shortfall which has lead to a record-breaking house price increase.

Record-breaking house prices

The shortage of homes for sale across Kent and the increasing demand from buyers has led to record-breaking house prices. The Nationwide house price index reported a 13.4% annual increase in house prices in June!   

How much is your home worth?

Now is the ideal time to find out how much the value of your home has increased; it will probably surprise you a lot! So, if you are considering about moving home, speak to our friendly team about listing your property soon to take advantage of housing market demand and increased in house prices. The overall demand for sale properties is currently 26% higher than in 2020.

We have a super handy instant online valuation tool to get a quick estimation of property price in just seconds. The tool gives you a minimum and maximum possible property value based on local and national property market data but does not consider the condition of your home and other factors. However it’s an excellent place to start!

If you would like a more precise figure then please get in touch on 01634 570057 or email medway@crrealestate.flywheelsites.com to chat with a member of our friendly and experienced sales team.

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How landlords can keep their properties occupied

Congratulations, you’ve decided to rent out your property! We know that this might be obvious but all landlords should try to keep it occupied at all times if possible. If you don’t, the mortgage, council tax and any other bills will be coming straight out of your own pocket and can mount up quickly.

In true Great British weather tradition it seems that the summer may have ended all too soon; with autumn and winter starting to creep in… It’s know in the property market that the colder months can be a hard time for landlords to find new tenants; but hopefully if you follow these tips you will never find your property unoccupied.

Use long term contracts

We’d advise to try and avoid six month contracts where you can. Having people come and go more regularly can be quite disruptive and one year contracts work much better for both landlords and tenants.

Once the contract is up, think about asking your tenants whether they would be interested in signing another contract. You don’t want to get into a rolling contract if possible; as it gives you less peace of mind, knowing they could up and leave at any time.

Think forward

Once you know that your current tenants are planning on moving out, try and visit your property as soon as possible to find out if anything needs fixing or replacing. Put the motions into place and get quotes for any new furniture or appliances; and book in contractors to carry out any work needed as soon as possible.

The best time to do up your property and give it a quick lick of paint is during the first week after tenants have moved out. This means the house will be available for viewings quickly, hopefully resulting in brand new tenants.

Look after your tenants

The easiest way to avoid an empty house is to look after your tenants as well as you can; after all a little kindness never killed nobody. This may sound obvious, but as a landlord it is easy to just ask tenants to sign a few contracts, hand over the keys and walk away.

However taking the time to build a relationship with tenants can go a very long way. It’s also important to try and solve any problems they may have as quickly as possible. That way if your tenants do move out, having a good relationship with them means you can ask them what the reasons behind their move are. If it’s something that can be changed you can do so before any new tenants move into the property.

Advertise

If you do happen to find yourself with an empty house, good marketing and adverts can make a world of difference when it comes to finding new tenants. It’s key to choose an estate agent that you trust and that lists their properties on major property portals such as Zoopla and Rightmove.

At Century Residential, our lettings team take pride in finding the most suitable tenant for your property in the shortest time possible. We understand how much your property means to you, so you can be assured that your letting will be handled professionally, efficiently and effectively. A large majority of our clients come to us through recommendations and that’s why client satisfaction and our reputation are immensely important to us.

Make it easy

The best way to get new tenants is to make it as easy as possible for people to find out about your property. We always try to work smart when booking viewings for our landlords; and always consider block viewing days, where we arrange for as many people as possible can come and look at it.

Need any help? Here’s our number 01634 570057

If you’re looking for help to not just list, rent out or manage your property, please come and speak to a member of our lettings team.

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