Be prepared is the key to successfully selling your home

IT was one of the founding fathers of the USA, Benjamin Franklin, who stated in the mid-1700s that

“by failing to plan, you are preparing to fail”. Fast forward almost 200 years to the Second World War and Winston Churchill says “he who fails to plan is planning to fail”.

The message about the possibility of failure is a simple but poignant statement applicable to many areas of life. And yes, it can apply as much to property sales as it can to the plan you might consider for a new business.

Rather heavy for a Saturday morning opinion piece on the housing market maybe but I hope thought provoking for homeowners who want to move sooner rather than later.

While you might hope your property will sell, perhaps it’s worth considering the words of Franklin and Churchill by planning to sell as the process does not happen of its own.

Much as many like to criticise the system, in many instances owners failing to plan ahead is a major contributor to problems and delays that can arise.

If a purchaser has a change of heart part way through buying, there is little a seller or an agent can do. The longer the process takes, the greater the potential for this to happen, especially if there is an associated chain of sales.

However, this is far from the sole reason why industry data currently suggests that around 25 per cent of agreed sales fall through before exchange. So here are a few suggestions to improve your chances of achieving a quicker sale.

Your agent will arrange an energy performance certificate when first instructed but if you already have one, is it still valid, and relevant if you have made recent improvements?

Instruct your solicitors sooner rather than later, then complete and return the Property Information Form and separate Fixtures and Fittings form they send you.

At this stage, not later, do also collate the documentation that supports the answers you have given. If you have extended or altered your home, planning permission and building regulation paperwork will exist – and that means the completion certificate as well.

If you don’t have them, now is the time for discussion with your solicitor, who hopefully has already been asked to check your title deeds for any defects and how best to rectify them. The only thing gained by not doing so now is usually major heartache when everyone gets fraught demanding documentation the week before exchange.

So plan ahead. If you have had new windows, where is the FENSA certificate? Likewise, the HETAS installation certificate for the lovely stove featured in your brochure.

Please don’t wait until the buyer asks for gas and electricity safety certification. Plan ahead. If you have septic tank drainage, it might have worked for years but does it comply with the latest legislation? Get it checked now rather than avoid the issue. Your agent should know who to contact for all these requirements.

If you fail to plan, or decide to wait and see what the buyer requests late in the process, there is often unnecessary delay and frustration and sometimes price renegotiation.

Now what did Mr Churchill say?