Flats are one of the most common types of property in the UK.
Listing one on the market means going up against a lot of competition. This is especially true in major cities and towns.
If you want your sale to progress quickly, there are a few important things you need to do.
Keep reading to find out what these are.
1. Stage your flat well
Property staging is an essential part of selling a flat.
You don’t usually have as many rooms or space as houses do. So, every detail should be perfect.
Consider your buyer’s perspective as they first walk into the flat. What features draw their attention?
You don’t want to personalise your flat too much, because then they might be unable to picture themselves living there.
A few things you can do include:
- Rearranging furniture
- Cleaning
- Redecorating – e.g. new ornaments or lampshades
- Painting the walls
- Mowing the lawn
- Adding fresh flowers to the kitchen or lounge.
If you paint the walls, try to pick neutral colours. Vivid pinks, purples or bright oranges might turn away your viewers.
Your estate agent can provide guidance on whether you’ve staged your flat well. Ask your friends, too – especially if they’re in your ideal demographic.
2. Extend your lease beforehand
The length of the lease on your flat greatly impacts its valuation.
You will get more money for your flat if the lease is at a considerable length. This usually means at least 90 years, and ideally more.
Once your lease falls below 80 years, buyers will struggle to get a mortgage on it. This can make your sale fall apart.
3. Get clear information about the numbers
Your viewers may have a few questions when they visit your flat. There are three important things they will often want to know about:
- Service charges
- Ground rent
- Square footage.
Get all three of these numbers clarified before you host viewings. Make sure your estate agent has the answer to all three, so they can give them to the viewer on the spot.
There’s no point hiding these details. Your viewer will find them out anyway.
4. Ensure you have all the documents you need
Selling your flat comes with a reasonable amount of documentation.
While this might not be the most exciting part of selling a flat, it is arguably the most important. Make sure that you have sorted out all the following information:
- Management pack
- Proof of identity
- Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
- Gas safety certificates
- Electrical checks
- Guarantees and warranties
- Freehold or leasehold-related documents.
It would help to arrange all these things when you sell your flat.
Speak to your conveyancer or solicitor, who can help you gather and organise these documents.
5. Look after the common areas on viewing day
Once viewing day arrives, you want your flat to look as attractive as possible.
It’s not just about the property itself. It’s also about the shared areas that your viewer walks through.
The hallway, lift, and other communal areas are not your responsibility to clean. However, you might want to make an exception on viewing day.
It might only take five minutes and will have a big impact on your viewer’s perception of the entire block of flats.
Remember, you don’t get a second chance at a first impression!
6. Remove bad or strong odours
Bad odours are never attractive for someone looking around your flat. They might worry that they’ll never get the smell out. This especially applies to flats with carpet in.
Bad smells often happen in flats where pets are being kept. If you have a cat, dog, or any other animal, it may result in a smell that you rarely notice after a while.
If a bad smell comes from a neighbour’s flat, get details on the situation before listing your house.
Speak to your neighbour and/or the freeholder. Your flat viewer will be more amenable if you can demonstrate that you’re taking action to fix the situation.
Other common causes of bad smells include:
- Plumbing
- Appliances
- Old furniture
- Lack of air circulation.
You can fix all of these things in the weeks before your viewings.
7. Price your flat accurately
Nothing will slow down a flat sale more than valuing it incorrectly. Every person who views your flat will be viewing others as well.
You should thus make sure that yours is priced fairly compared to what else is on the market.
Don’t only trust one estate agent’s opinion on the correct valuation. Do your research and get valuations from several sources.
An independent expert is more likely to give an accurate figure. And you will sell much faster when your valuation is reasonable.
8. Choose your estate agent carefully
Last but not least, be careful about the estate agent you hire to sell your flat. This can be the reason your sale is a success – or a failure.
You need your estate agent to be responsive, efficient and experienced in the local area. A few ways you can guarantee this is by:
- Checking online reviews
- Speaking to them directly
- Asking friends and family for recommendations
- Use estate agents you’ve had a positive experience with in the past
- See how quickly they respond to your initial enquiry.
You ideally want your estate agent to be experienced at selling flats.
Ask how long they have been working in the area and what their success rate is with selling flats.
If your flat has any unique features, your agent should be familiar with handling this.
Don’t just hire the first estate agent you speak to. Shop around, get feedback from several organisations, and then pick the one that seems like the best fit.
Ways to sell your flat faster
There are strategies to sell your flat faster.
Some of these are linked to the above tips for selling your flat. For example, you can reduce your asking price.
Others involve trying different channels for selling your flat. This includes auctions and cash buyers.
Sell your flat upfront and quickly with We Buy Any Home
We Buy Any Home are chain-free cash property buyers who can purchase your flat up-front and quickly, without hassle or stress.
We offer the perfect opportunity for you to sell any flat quickly.
Fill in our enquiry form below if you want a cash offer for your home.
