Selling Your Home
Selling and buying a home can seem very daunting and the thought may you stress you out. Here at Mather Marshall, we will work with you to make this process as easy and accessible as possible. As an independent estate agent, we have the flexibility to work with you and your needs. To us you are not just a number, we join you on this journey.
Our forward-thinking approach has meant that we have established and grown over the last 33 years with High Street branches in Hatfield, Stevenage and Knebworth.
Our team is made up of experienced industry professionals, both young and old, but all with the same passion and determination. We have both dedicated Sales and Property Management teams with some members dual trained enabling on the spot advice in both.
Preparing your home for viewings, or “staging” as it is called will massively improve the chances of a quick sale and achieving a higher price. You have one chance to create the best first impression, so let’s make it count!
De-cluttering is a great place to start. This will help minimise the number of boxes you have when you move and show the true potential of space to prospective buyers. The more “things” in a room, the smaller it will seem and if you’re going to be getting rid of items anyway, why not start now? It’s also an opportunity to make some extra cash putting items on selling sites such as Facebook MarketPlace or Vinted- easy to use and money in the pot for your new home.
Consider giving your walls a fresh lick of paint. Neutral colours will help make your home lighter and allow prospective buyers to easily imagine how they could adapt rooms.
Make any minor repairs such as broken doorknobs, changing light bulbs that aren’t working or fixing holes in walls.
Give your home a good deep clean, showing prospective buyers that it is looked after! Get rid of limescale build up, clean your windows and sills to enhance their condition and eliminate unwanted odours!
Some things to think about:
Clearing bits off windowsills especially anything that will block light.
Positioning and adding mirrors are a great way to make a room look bigger and lighter, especially smaller rooms such as hallways!
Consider that plants and greenery bring colour, light and life into a room.
The front of your home is a prospective buyers first impression, so ensure it looks its best! The condition of the exterior usually mirrors the interior, there will be buyers that will not even bother entering the home if they are not happy with the kerb appeal.
Valuing your home is a combination of things, we look at your home’s location, condition and size, properties that are on the market or have sold in the local area as well as current market and financial trends. We combine these things with our knowledge of the local market and industry expertise to give you an achievable market value.
We will provide you with the evidence to support our valuation and explain the calculation behind the figure as well as how to market your home using “price points” to ensure we’re maximising its exposure to all prospective buyers. We may value your property at £340,000 but will explain why we should market it at £350,000.
Once you have your figure, look at your finances to see what is viable for your onward purchase. Will you need a mortgage? Are you mortgage free? Do you know if you can afford to move?
You may have spoken to your lender (after waiting on hold for 45 minutes) and they have sold you a dream rate but unless you’ve spoken to an independent “whole of market” mortgage advisor (who waits on hold for you), can you be sure that you are getting the best deal?
We have worked with Finesse Mortgage Services for over 10 years who like us is independent and honest- run by a mother and daughter duo, Nikki and Sophie. They offer impartial advice with no fee due until a mortgage is applied for.
They can organise porting your current mortgage to a new property, setting up a new mortgage entirely with a more beneficial term, organise life and home insurance and make savings on home utilities.
Their service doesn’t stop there, they will keep in touch over the years for renewals or with better deals.
The girls can be found on social media under Finesse Mortgage Services. By phone on 07828145593 or by email:
Nikki@finessemortgageservices.co.uk
Sophie@finessemortgageservices.co.uk
There are additional financial costs involved with moving home which unfortunately do not stop at the price of a home.
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) A tax imposed on single property purchases.
It changes in increments with 0% to pay up to £250,000 then, £250,001 to £925,000 is 5%, £925,001 to £1.5m is 10% and anything above £1.5m is 12%
Conveyancing Fees (Solicitor Fee’s)
These will be very dependent on the size and type of property that you are selling or buying, we would advise using a solicitor local to where you are buying. We work with two solicitor firms, Friis and Radstone in Stevenage and Taylor Walton in Hatfield. We can arrange for them to quote on your sale and/or purchase prior to making any commitments.
Removal Costs
How many things do you have to move? Can you manage on your own with friends, family, and a van? Or will you need some strapping professionals with a convoy of lorries? You will need to think about moving materials such as boxes and bubble wrap, can you source these yourself or would prefer they’re supplied for you? Can you manage to pack yourself or would you like a company to do this too?
Refurbishments and New Furniture
Even if you’re buying a show home, you will still want to add your personal touch. Ensure you budget for immediate works you may want to do as well as white goods or essentials you need for your new home.
We’ll say it again- first impressions are key! When your property hits the market, it needs to stand out, look its best and provide prospective buyers with as much information as possible to sell your home!
You may have started your property search, looking at properties and thinking “what awful photographs” or “I wonder if my bed will fit in that room?” and these are questions we want to eliminate or immediately answer.
You don’t want an agent turning up to your house without the right equipment or worse, a camera from your family holiday in 2002. How a property or room is photographed changes how big or bright it looks, how the property flows and what potential it must be adapted or changed so it is important it is done right. We come equipped with professional equipment and knowledge on how to photograph your home best.
Using a dual lens 360 camera we capture a 360 view of your home allowing prospective buyers to see the real size of the space on offer. We have found these especially helpful to prospective buyers moving from out of area. They're more likely to make the journey knowing those room sizes are right for them and the flow suits their needs.
A staple part of advertising your home- some would argue the most important. Images of rooms and gardens can be altered, taken in flattering light, or seen through a wide angled lens but measurements don’t lie and are imperative to most buyers. Floorplans allow buyers to envisage where their furniture may go, where they could knock down or add walls and how their life could work in that space. Once prospective buyers start imagining their life in your home, an emotional attachment is more likely to form.
As important as visual aids are sometimes people prefer the facts. We don’t want prospective buyers have to guess or dig for information so we like to provide as much as we can. We give a brief overview of the property, and a detailed description of each rooms fixtures and as importantly the properties area and surrounding amenities. Not everyone may know the area so we highlight the benefits of its location and how it could work for them.
We want your property seen by the largest audience possible. To do so we advertise on major portals including Rightmove, OnTheMarket, Mather Marshall Website, and social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
As independent agents we have prominent High Street Offices with illuminated window cards to showcase your property. We also have a register of clients with preferred requirements who are carefully matched to any properties which could be of interest.
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Our forward-thinking approach has meant that we have established and grown over the last 33 years with High Street branches in Hatfield, Stevenage and Knebworth.
Our team is made up of experienced industry professionals, both young and old, but all with the same passion and determination. We have both dedicated Sales and Property Management teams with some members dual trained enabling on the spot advice in both.
Let’s get ready!
Preparing your home for viewings, or “staging” as it is called will massively improve the chances of a quick sale and achieving a higher price. You have one chance to create the best first impression, so let’s make it count!
De-cluttering
De-cluttering is a great place to start. This will help minimise the number of boxes you have when you move and show the true potential of space to prospective buyers. The more “things” in a room, the smaller it will seem and if you’re going to be getting rid of items anyway, why not start now? It’s also an opportunity to make some extra cash putting items on selling sites such as Facebook MarketPlace or Vinted- easy to use and money in the pot for your new home.
Clean, Fix, Tidy
Consider giving your walls a fresh lick of paint. Neutral colours will help make your home lighter and allow prospective buyers to easily imagine how they could adapt rooms.
Make any minor repairs such as broken doorknobs, changing light bulbs that aren’t working or fixing holes in walls.
Give your home a good deep clean, showing prospective buyers that it is looked after! Get rid of limescale build up, clean your windows and sills to enhance their condition and eliminate unwanted odours!
Some things to think about:
Clearing bits off windowsills especially anything that will block light.
Positioning and adding mirrors are a great way to make a room look bigger and lighter, especially smaller rooms such as hallways!
Consider that plants and greenery bring colour, light and life into a room.
Kerb Appeal
The front of your home is a prospective buyers first impression, so ensure it looks its best! The condition of the exterior usually mirrors the interior, there will be buyers that will not even bother entering the home if they are not happy with the kerb appeal.
We’d recommend:
- Give the front door and surrounding walls a good clean and a fresh lick of paint.
- Jet wash driveways, pathways, and garage doors to enhance the appearance.
- Consider hanging seasonal flower baskets or door wreaths to add a pop of colour!
- Trim and prune oversized plants and trees to a manageable state, especially those in front of windows- let us as much light in as possible!
- Ensure your lawn areas are neat and tidy and get rid of unwanted weeds.
- Get rid of unused garden furniture and ensure your bins look tidy.
- Checking and clearing all gutters and downpipes.
Valuation - What’s your home worth?
Valuing your home is a combination of things, we look at your home’s location, condition and size, properties that are on the market or have sold in the local area as well as current market and financial trends. We combine these things with our knowledge of the local market and industry expertise to give you an achievable market value.
We will provide you with the evidence to support our valuation and explain the calculation behind the figure as well as how to market your home using “price points” to ensure we’re maximising its exposure to all prospective buyers. We may value your property at £340,000 but will explain why we should market it at £350,000.
Once you have your figure, look at your finances to see what is viable for your onward purchase. Will you need a mortgage? Are you mortgage free? Do you know if you can afford to move?
You may have spoken to your lender (after waiting on hold for 45 minutes) and they have sold you a dream rate but unless you’ve spoken to an independent “whole of market” mortgage advisor (who waits on hold for you), can you be sure that you are getting the best deal?
We have worked with Finesse Mortgage Services for over 10 years who like us is independent and honest- run by a mother and daughter duo, Nikki and Sophie. They offer impartial advice with no fee due until a mortgage is applied for.
They can organise porting your current mortgage to a new property, setting up a new mortgage entirely with a more beneficial term, organise life and home insurance and make savings on home utilities.
Their service doesn’t stop there, they will keep in touch over the years for renewals or with better deals.
The girls can be found on social media under Finesse Mortgage Services. By phone on 07828145593 or by email:
Nikki@finessemortgageservices.co.uk
Sophie@finessemortgageservices.co.uk
Additional Costs
There are additional financial costs involved with moving home which unfortunately do not stop at the price of a home.
Things you will need to consider:
Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) A tax imposed on single property purchases.
It changes in increments with 0% to pay up to £250,000 then, £250,001 to £925,000 is 5%, £925,001 to £1.5m is 10% and anything above £1.5m is 12%
Conveyancing Fees (Solicitor Fee’s)
These will be very dependent on the size and type of property that you are selling or buying, we would advise using a solicitor local to where you are buying. We work with two solicitor firms, Friis and Radstone in Stevenage and Taylor Walton in Hatfield. We can arrange for them to quote on your sale and/or purchase prior to making any commitments.
Removal Costs
How many things do you have to move? Can you manage on your own with friends, family, and a van? Or will you need some strapping professionals with a convoy of lorries? You will need to think about moving materials such as boxes and bubble wrap, can you source these yourself or would prefer they’re supplied for you? Can you manage to pack yourself or would you like a company to do this too?
Refurbishments and New Furniture
Even if you’re buying a show home, you will still want to add your personal touch. Ensure you budget for immediate works you may want to do as well as white goods or essentials you need for your new home.
Marketing - the Mather Way!
We’ll say it again- first impressions are key! When your property hits the market, it needs to stand out, look its best and provide prospective buyers with as much information as possible to sell your home!
You may have started your property search, looking at properties and thinking “what awful photographs” or “I wonder if my bed will fit in that room?” and these are questions we want to eliminate or immediately answer.
Semi-Professional Photography
You don’t want an agent turning up to your house without the right equipment or worse, a camera from your family holiday in 2002. How a property or room is photographed changes how big or bright it looks, how the property flows and what potential it must be adapted or changed so it is important it is done right. We come equipped with professional equipment and knowledge on how to photograph your home best.
360 Virtual Reality Tours
Using a dual lens 360 camera we capture a 360 view of your home allowing prospective buyers to see the real size of the space on offer. We have found these especially helpful to prospective buyers moving from out of area. They're more likely to make the journey knowing those room sizes are right for them and the flow suits their needs.
Floorplans with Measurements
A staple part of advertising your home- some would argue the most important. Images of rooms and gardens can be altered, taken in flattering light, or seen through a wide angled lens but measurements don’t lie and are imperative to most buyers. Floorplans allow buyers to envisage where their furniture may go, where they could knock down or add walls and how their life could work in that space. Once prospective buyers start imagining their life in your home, an emotional attachment is more likely to form.
Property and Area Descriptions
As important as visual aids are sometimes people prefer the facts. We don’t want prospective buyers have to guess or dig for information so we like to provide as much as we can. We give a brief overview of the property, and a detailed description of each rooms fixtures and as importantly the properties area and surrounding amenities. Not everyone may know the area so we highlight the benefits of its location and how it could work for them.
Maximizing your audience
We want your property seen by the largest audience possible. To do so we advertise on major portals including Rightmove, OnTheMarket, Mather Marshall Website, and social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.
As independent agents we have prominent High Street Offices with illuminated window cards to showcase your property. We also have a register of clients with preferred requirements who are carefully matched to any properties which could be of interest.
