The Boy Scouts motto is key to moving home. Property specialist Austin highlights the importance of being prepared in the current market

Halliday

MANY properties are selling in record time, often for prices far exceeding Home Report values – which can make for very happy sellers. Or does it? An ‘Under Offer’ sticker flicks the switch that turns a seller into a buyer, but with high demand and fast sales countered by low supply, happy sellers may find themselves unable to find their next home within the allotted time span.

Alternatively, homeowners who would like to sell, may opt out from even trying and lose an ideal opportunity by assuming there is nothing suitable on the market to buy.

This presents a dilemma: generally, in a stable market sellers have time and can commit to a sale before they buy.

However, the current buoyant conditions, coupled with the risk of not being able to find a suitable property for an onward move, makes it more likely sellers will withdraw and the sale will fall through, thereby wasting time, energy, and money, and distress for the buyer.

Savvy sellers are those who can make the current market work to their advantage by being organised, flexible – and by tapping into their estate agent’s insider knowledge and expertise.

Understanding and establishing a client’s time scale and forward plan at an initial pre-sale stage is a fundamental aspect of Halliday Homes’ personal service. It also means we know in advance the location and type/ size of home they are looking to buy.

As experts operating across the Central Belt of Scotland, we know of properties coming onto the market (or being marketed privately) well before they appear on property portals – knowledge that can be invaluable when sales progress at a fast pace.

While being prepared has long been the advice for buyers, in today’s market it equally applies to sellers.