For Sale, Virgin.

We can all remember the first time, worried about what to say, being dressed right, smelling right, not seeming too eager and not looking apprehensive.

Well here is a few things that may help you get through the first time house sellers barrier.

When to sell?

without a doubt late spring or early autumn, Winters are just too cold and wet and in the summer everyone is dreaming of a beach. Also, this may be more important in the countryside rather than in the cities. Why because often country house have big gardens and they just have to look good.

How much can I get for it?

Okay first of all watch out for the estate agents, their favourite trick is to overvalue your house so you are impressed and sign up with them, then when it doesn’t sell the agent will suggest dropping the price to a more realistic price, which is what it should have been all along.

Avoid this schoolboy error by doing a bit of work first, the RIGHTMOVE website can help you get a ballpark figure for your house based on similar houses in your area. Remember this is not an exact science, even if the estate agent tries to make it seem that way.

How much will it cost me?

I am not going to lie, it's going to cost about £10,000.

There are a number of things you can get to work on straight away, first of all, look how much it cost you to buy the house, how much did the estate agent charge, how much was the solicitor. It would be good to add 5% to those figures so you don’t get too much of a shock this time around.

Then have a look at the small print of your mortgage, do you have to buy yourself out of it, is there an early repayment fee.

Then work out what you have to do to get your house looking in top shape, does the front door need painting, does the lawn need painting for that matter.

The chances are you will not have paid stamp duty on your current house, but there is every chance you will have to on the next house. So look at the current stamp duty rates and factor that in.

Oh and don’t forget to add in the cost of the removal guys, you may have moved in with next to nothing in the back of a van, but that is not going to be the case when you leave. After all, you have turned this house into your first nest and probably fill it with stuff.

Okay, how do I do a viewing?

Well, first of all, you have to do the preparation work, which could be the fun part or the worst part depending on your DIY skills.

Remember photos never lie, so prep the house to look spectacular in photos.

Get rid of clutter, that means family photos and holiday mementoes, cut that newly painted grass, paint the scratched front door, take the contents of your garage around to one or both sets of parents and leave it there.

Get a new carpet or rug if need be, buyers feet sticking to the floor is not a good experience.

Consider sending the dog or cat on an extended holiday and if you have a pet rat, well the longer the holiday the better.

Make the approach to your front door the best it has ever looked, buyers are like eaters and we know they eat with their eyes first.

Remember whatever you spend here will be worth it if you sell your house quickly and for the amount you want. It's not spending its investing.

Maybe ask a friend to come and play at being a buyer and give you honest, but tactful feedback. It may be the end of a beautiful relationship, but you will know what’s wrong with your house.

Help I have an offer, what shall I do?

Well, first of all, its the estate agents job to get you the best price for your house, but its a little bit more than just that. They also should try to get you the best person to buy your house which may not be the person who has offered the most.

That sounds a little complicated so let me explain it better.

How quickly do you want to sell? is the prospective buyer in a long complicated chain or chain free, i.e. a first-time buyer. Are house prices about to fall, are interest rates about to go up.

All of these things will play a role in sorting out what is the best offer for your house and who is the best buyer for your house.

Put another way, what’s the point in accepting an offer £10,000 over your sale price if that buyer hasn’t a cat in hells chance of completing the deal before you draw your pension.

I hope this has given you a few ideas about how to break your house selling virginity, of course, I can assist you with most of this, I can research your current mortgage and search for the very best deal for your next mortgage.

CLICK TO CONTACT ME, let's have a chat about it.

In the mean time read my guide to moving houses, CLICK HERE