On average, in Australia, once you have made the decision to sell your home, from getting the house sold to the final settlement, it takes between 30 to 120 days and there are a number of challenges to be faced along the way. From house conveyancing to prepping the property for sale, let’s look at the 6 biggest hurdles you will face and show you how to overcome them.
1) Get the House Ready
It may come as a surprise but not everyone will share your taste in décor and furniture. Potential vendors need to walk into a property and be able to visualise their own furnishings and possessions so make sure that you have removed any clutter and keep the home clean and tidy. If you favour bold colours throughout the home consider giving the walls a coat of neutral colour, chalky whites or creams so that it gives the impression of space. Ensure the house is welcoming, and you can get a first impression from your conveyancer as you move to the second challenge.
2) Land and Boundary Issues
In order to make sure that the sales go through quickly and efficiently, you have to ensure you have the correct information on the land and fence boundaries for the potential vendors. Any previous disputes with neighbors can be easily rectified by an experienced house conveyancing firm. They are used to looking at land registry details, surveying the property including boundary lines, and clarifying ownership so that you don’t have this worry.
3) How Much Is It Worth?
You have to ensure that you are asking a realistic sales price given the location, type of property, condition, and land available. Ask too much and you can find yourself not able to sell, too little and you won’t maximize the money you invested in the home in the first place. Before you put it on the market, do a little research and check out what other houses in your area are selling for, when you have fixed a price, sound out the professionals such as your real estate agent and your conveyancer in Melbourne. They will have lots of experience working with similar properties in the area and will know if the asking price is a realistic one.
4) Getting Ready for Inspection
The vendor’s legal and financial team will require an inspection of the property before they release any home loans, but if you are not familiar with what they need to inspect, this can be a worry. If there are things that need to be done before the sale, that can move forward, this will hold things up and be a cost taken from your budget. Their inspector will want to look over all areas both inside and out, loft spaces and basements areas. You need to ensure they can gain safe access to all areas including loft hatches and electrical panels and get ready all maintenance paperwork, plans, approvals, etc. if you have carried out remodeling work so this makes their job (and your life) a lot easier.
5) Legal Documentation
For most of us, it is the legal requirements, the contracts, and sales documentation that proves to be the biggest headache. Fortunately, there is a very simple solution to this challenge and this is using a house conveyancing firm that offers a one-stop-shop solution. They will work on your behalf to ensure that everything is in place to protect you and your sale including drawing up contracts and checking that all the required legal documentation is watertight to protect your interests.
6) Fear of Sale Not Going Through
Having made up your mind to sell your home, which is a very stressful and emotional decision, there is always the fear that the sale could fall through. However, a lot of your stress and anxiety can be lessened by working with a local conveyancer who understands the market and knows the pitfalls. Their contract preparation and section 32 statements will make the sale go through as quickly and painlessly as possible because they are there to support you from start to finish.
Forget the challenges when you speak to the professionals and start moving on the next phase of your family life.
