Your property is worth what someone is prepared to pay at the time of the offer in an open market,  do your research and compare similar properties sold in your area. To encourage viewing we would always encourage you to display the lowest price you are prepared to negotiate from, you are advertising to find the true market value of your property and the lower the price the higher the demand, the higher the price the lower the demand and to sell your property you need to create the demand. When a property is on the market and the price is gradually reduced every 2-3 months potential buys who are monitoring the market assume there is a problem with the property and may decide not to arrange a viewing so it is important you create the demand from day one. Its not where you start, its where you finish so start low and end high. 

We recommend you visit the land registry website to view the sold properties in your area. Compare Online Valuation Tools like Zoopla but be aware online valuation tools don't know how much your property is worth, the valuation is based on algorithms for similar properties sold in your area and fails to recognise your unique selling points. Every property is unique and the best person to decide how much your property is worth is you.

Land registry search click Here

Zoopla Estimate Tool (Scroll down the page and click on the "Get a Zoopla Estimate" button) click Here

Our Property experts are here if you need them. We can supply Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), floor plans, good quality photography, videos and many other services.

Our goal is to maintain competitive prices and deliver a superior level of service. 

In England and Wales it's a legal requirement for all homeowner to provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) showing the energy efficiency of the property.

However, you can advertise your property without an EPC providing you intend to do so within a reasonable time but you will need an EPC to complete the sale or rent of the property by UK Law. You may already have one in place as they remain valid for ten years from the date of issue, so it’s well worth checking using the link below:

To check if your property has an EPC, click here (England and Wales):

To check if your property has an EPC, click here (Scotland):

No, we have invested in technology to promote your property page on Google, Bing and a wide variety of Social Media platforms utilising our Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) technology to secure high ranking placements.

You have as long as it takes to sell or let your property. You can remove your listing at any time and can relist whenever you like. You have full control of your property page, 24/7.

If you select the Premium Listing you will receive your For Sale or To Let board showing your personal telephone number delivered free of charge complete with post and fixings.

Free Or Standard Listings do not include a For Sale or To Let Board.

 

You will be contacted by potential buyers via your secure OkayLah message board, or they may contact you by telephone if they have taken your details from your For Sale or To Let board. You communicate directly and agree on a mutually convenient date and time for the viewing.

We provide further advice on viewing techniques within the ‘Dos and Don’ts guide once you register.

We recommend that you contact the viewer within 48 hours to obtain feedback on your property via your secure message board.

We provide further advice on this in the ‘Dos and Don’ts guide once you register.

When you receive an offer it is important to evaluate all offers received based on the current circumstances of the parties concerned and then make a decision to proceed based on the terms agreed "Subject to Contract" you will need to instruct a conveyancing solicitor who will provide the documentation needed to progress through to completion.

See Accepting the offer for more information.

A Scottish Home Report is a pack of three documents that give buyers a clear picture of the condition of the property for sale. It comprises:

The Energy Report: This shows the energy efficiency of the property and assesses its environmental impact. It will also give recommendations on how to make the property more energy-efficient.

The Property Questionnaire: This is completed by the seller to give an overview of useful information, such as the property’s Council Tax band and details of any alterations that have been made.

The Single Survey: This includes a report on the condition of the property, a valuation of the property and an accessibility audit for people with particular needs.

A valuation for mortgage purposes is valid for a period of three months, after which it needs to be refreshed to satisfy the lender’s criteria. The fees are based on price bands and we can arrange for these to be completed anywhere in Scotland using a panel of surveyors approved by all major lenders.

There are a number of costs and fees associated with selling a house that you will need to factor into your budget. If you are also buying a new house at the same time then you also need to consider the buying costs.

Estate agent’s fees - Free - £35 or £65 if you advertise with OkayLah.co.uk.

Energy Performance Certificate (England and Wales) - £45.+ £25 call out.

Home Reports – Only required in Scotland. For more information, click here.

Conveyancing fees - A solicitor or legal conveyancer will deal with the legal aspects of selling your property. The cost will depend on the sale value but estimated between £420 - £1000 excluding vat payable on completion.

Removal costs: The cost will vary depending on how much and how far you are moving. Get three quotes and look at customer reviews to choose the most suitable removal firm for your needs.

The first thing to think about is the sort of buyer who is likely to want your property. Is your property likely to appeal to young professionals? Families? Retired couples?

A recently built, town centre apartment is likely to appeal to young professionals or couples trying to get onto the housing ladder for the first time. An uncluttered, minimalist look with light, neutral coloured walls are likely to have the widest appeal.

If you're selling a three or four-bedroom house in a residential area close to schools, then it's more likely to appeal to families with school-age children. Make it easy for them to imagine living there. Make the bedrooms look like bedrooms — don't use them to store junk or as a home office.

A bungalow might appeal to a retired couple looking to downsize. Make it look cosy and inviting with well-chosen soft furnishings and subtle lighting. If you're really not sure what sort of buyer to target, simply follow our general advice (below) on staging your home and you won't go far wrong.

Do everything you can to show buyers your property’s potential. If you help them to picture themselves living in your home, you’ll receive better offers and sell more quickly. These are our top tips on preparing your home for sale:

Declutter: Buyers can struggle to see past heaps of furniture and personal items, which can also make rooms feel small. Consider renting some external storage space to house items until you move, but try to strike a balance. Remember that people often buy into a lifestyle so try and show them your home life at its best.

A fresh lick of paint: Try to step back and look at your home objectively. Right now, selling your house is the priority, rather than your attachment to a particular wallpaper design. Consider whether areas can be improved with a quick lick of paint. Don’t go overboard though; it’s good for properties to have some personality, rather than feeling like empty white boxes. Just a splash of colour to one feature wall can be really effective.

First impressions count: Buyers will often drive past a property to rate its curb appeal before they express any interest. Tidy up the garden or driveway, clean the windows, and give the front door a spruce up with some fresh paint.

Fix, fix, fix and fix: Small repair jobs can be easy to ignore when you see them every day, but when a buyer comes to look around your property they can make the place look really tired. Look around every room in your house, make a list of quick-fixes and get them sorted.

De-personalising your home is part of the process of making it easier for your buyer to imagine living there. Pack away the family portrait, the children’s pictures, the holiday memorabilia and the collection of figurines! Make it easy for your buyer to imagine making their mark. After all, it's only temporary - you will get everything back when you move to your new home.

Another part of this process is to make sure that rooms are being used in a way that would be expected. If you've advertised a three-bedroom house, then prospective buyers do not expect to find that one of them is a home office and another is used for storage. Again, make it easy for them and don't leave it up to their imaginations. It may not be fun, but it's an essential first step towards creating a well-staged house. So much so that, if you're not prepared to do a really good job, then you should consider getting in professional cleaners. No matter how well-staged your house, if it's not clean, buyers won't be impressed.

Don't forget to give the place a chance to air before buyers come to view, particularly if anyone smokes in the house or there are any strong cooking smells. Presentation matters. Buyers are coming to look around your property, and you need to make an effort to show your home at its best. Don’t make buyers imagine how good it could be; show them! Go all out to impress.

Kerb appeal: Many buyers will make a drive-by visit to your property before they decide whether or not to make a viewing. Tidy up the outside of your home, cut the grass, trim the hedges and remove any weeds from your beds or pathways. Make them want to arrange a viewing.

Kitchen:: Clean and polish all surfaces, fittings, handles, cupboard fronts and appliances. Clean inside the oven and any integrated appliances that are included in the sale. Clear any clutter from surfaces and make sure the sink and draining area is completely clear. Pet bowls should be cleared away, and always let in a blast of fresh air to clear any stale cooking smells. 

Living areas:: Clutter makes a room feel smaller and makes it harder for a buyer to imagine living in your home. Make sure distinctive features, like fireplaces, can be fully appreciated. Let the natural daylight flood in by pulling back the curtains and removing any items that might block light, such as vases or photo frames on window sills. Keep the house warm in the winter but, whatever the season, be sure to regularly throw open the windows to let fresh air in. During viewings, turn off the TV and any music that might be distracting.

Bathrooms and toilets: Clear away the mountain of toiletries, sponges, medication and make-up that seems to accumulate in the bathroom. Clear away children’s bath toys and put out clean, dry, folded towels. Bath and shower fittings should be spotlessly clean. Open windows to clear away any excess moisture. Consider replacing bath and shower sealants if mould has accumulated.

Let the light flood in: Most buyers will want to come and view in daylight and you should always make the most of the natural light you have available. Make sure that curtains are fully open and internal doors are left open to let light through. Where artificial light is needed to brighten up dark rooms, you should experiment to see what creates the best impression, whether that be lamps, uplighters, ceiling lights or spotlights.

Space: Rooms with plenty of space appear bigger and big rooms appeal to buyers. Apart from the decor, there are two things you can do to create space. First, get rid of any unnecessary furniture. Second, clear away clutter. Be ruthless. If you have furniture that serves no real purpose other than to take up space, get rid of it. Sell it or give it to charity. If you have young children, make sure that their toys are packed away and not strewn all over the floor — even if that only lasts for as long as you have visitors! Not only will your rooms look bigger but it will also be easier for buyers to imagine how things would look if they were living there (and if they can't imagine living there then they won't be making an offer). Potential buyers will want to see every room, so make an effort with every space in your house. Kids’ rooms can look like warzones, but spend some time sorting them out so they look like bedrooms again. Toys can be boxed and all clothing, including shoes, should be cleared away.

Garden: For many people, the garden is one of the biggest selling points. Tidy away any rubbish, weed and cut the grass, and put out some potted plants to soften patios and yards. A seasonal fertiliser will add colour to a tired lawn. Be sure to cut back any boisterous bushes, particularly in smaller gardens.

Pets: If you have pets, make sure your house is regularly ventilated to reduce their smell. Even if you don't really notice it potential buyers will, and some will find it very off-putting. Also, don't forget that some people are absolutely terrified of dogs. A buyer who is in a state of panic is not likely to want to stay very long or to come back for a second viewing. Leave the dog at a neighbour’s house or have someone take it for a walk.

Furniture: This defines a room’s function and helps buyers imagine how things will look when they have moved in. They will struggle to imagine the potential of an empty room. Be aware that simply pushing furniture to the edges of the room to make it look bigger could end up making it feel like a waiting room! Don't block pathways through rooms; buyers should be able to move freely from one area of the room to the next. Group seating around an attractive focal point, such as a fireplace or coffee table. Your seating layout should show how many people can sit in the room comfortably. In a four-bedroom house, there should be seating for at least five.

Carpets and curtains: It's essential to have the right carpets if you're going to succeed in creating the sense of light and space that buyers are looking for. Replace worn, stained or heavily-patterned carpets with new carpets that are light, neutral-coloured and plain. Also consider replacing carpets that are very dark, particularly those that can be replaced without spending a lot of money, and it will have a real impact on the way your house is perceived by buyers. The same rules apply to curtains. Replace them if necessary or send them to be dry cleaned.

Touch up the paintwork: It’s also worth investing in a coat of paint. You want your home to appeal to as wide a cross-section of buyers as possible. Colourful walls are not the way to do this. Yes, you want your house to be bright, but it should be painted in light, neutral shades. This will help to create a sense of space and make rooms seem bigger. Another useful trick for creating the illusion of space is to hang a large mirror with a simple, unobtrusive frame onto the main wall of a reception room or bedroom.

Most buyers will ignore listings without photographs, so it’s important to spend time setting the scene and presenting your house as well as you can; it’s showtime! You can upload up to 30 images at any time so, if you’re not happy with your first attempt, don’t worry, you can wait for that beautiful blue sky and replace the images you’re not happy with, whenever you like. The first image should be the show-stopper, the one that makes the viewer click on your page to view your property. Have a walk around and remove any unsightly objects, like wheeled bins and garden rubbish, and pick the best angles to attract your buyer.

After location, the garden and the kitchen are the most important areas to potential buyers, so take plenty of photographs. Show the areas and rooms that you think best represent your property. Natural daylight is always better than a flash or ceiling lighting, so try to take your pictures during the day, when the sun is out. That way, potential buyers are able to get a much better idea of whether your house is what they are looking for. Those who like what they see will be much more likely to buy and those who don't will not waste your time with fruitless viewings. From your digital camera or phone, download your pictures onto your computer. Once there, they can easily be uploaded when you add your listing.

You have the option of including six videos of your property. You don’t need a professional video recorder, all you need is your phone and/or a selfie stick. You are inviting your buyer to view your property, with you showing them the way on a quick tour. Introduce yourself and don’t forget that whoever views the video will be contacting you directly. Smile; your personality will go a long way towards finding your buyer.

It's important to get the description of your home right to generate maximum interest. We have created an easy-to-follow template so that your property details will be displayed professionally and its best attributes will be clearly listed. You will need to add a catchy heading, which is shown above your description, but we will do the rest. Here are some tips to follow:

Focus on the key information that a buyer will want to know. In other words, all the major selling points – everything from en suite bathrooms and a newly-fitted kitchen to a hot tub or landscaped gardens. Include enough detail to hook potential buyers. This way, you only spend time dealing with those who are genuinely interested in viewing.

Use short paragraphs or bullet points to break up your text. People are easily put off by long, rambling paragraphs as we generally like to scan listings and get information quickly, especially online. Don’t forget the surrounding area - give a brief mention of local amenities, such as schools, shopping, bars and restaurants.

If you’re not providing a floor plan, list the individual rooms with their dimensions. Always state that the dimensions are approximate as the buyer will know you have taken the measurements so you don’t want to be caught out if you make a mistake. If you decide to order a floor plan, there’s no need to list the rooms as they can be displayed under the floor plan section. Alternatively, you can create your own floor plans using a pay-as-you-go option. Prices start from about £10 and it’s worth taking a look at https://www.metropix.com/ or https://www.floorplansusketch.com/.

Ignore the old advice about baking some bread or putting the coffee pot on to make the property smell more homely. Whilst the regular smells of domesticity, such as cooking or pet dog, are certainly not to be recommended, the best scent of all is the background aroma of a good freshly cleaned house.

Where to start: When beginning the tour, always start downstairs with the best room first. Open the door and allow your buyer to enter before you. If you walk into the room before your buyer, the room will appear much smaller. Avoid obvious statements like ‘This is the lounge/kitchen’ - people know what room they are in. Allow your buyer to ask questions if they have any but, if not, do not be afraid to point out any endearing features or key benefits - without going into a long speech. Stick to the facts and keep selling points short and simple.

Read a buyer’s signals: Buyers usually take very little time to look over a property. The average viewing time is only around ten minutes. The longer your buyer takes and the more questions they ask, the more interested they could be, so try to read their facial expressions. The more enthusiastic and animated, the more interested they are. If they ask how quickly you can move or whether the price is negotiable, this is another indication that they have more than a passing interest in making an offer.

It’s normal practice for buyers to offer less than the advertised asking price, so don't be surprised if initial offers are a little low. We always like to start off low and increase. Don’t accept or reject an offer straight away; it is perfectly normal to think things over for a day or two and, in most cases, the highest offer is not always the best offer. Ask the following questions to get a better understanding of their circumstances:

• Do they need to move quickly?

• Do they have to sell a home in order to move?

• Are they part of a chain?

• Are they a cash buyer?

• Do they have a mortgage approved in principle?

• Are they flexible on a moving date?

Also, consider your own position:

• Do you have to move quickly in order to secure your next house?

• If you are in no hurry to move, then you could hold out for a higher offer.

• Have you received a high level of interest?

A buyer who is not part of a chain and already has a mortgage approved is a more favourable purchaser than someone who needs to sell their own home in order to fund the purchase or has not yet got a mortgage approved. If the buyer raises the subject of money, tell them you are keen to sell and would consider any sensible offer. Be frank, the price listed is the minimum you would be prepared to consider but you know it’s realistically priced and there is interest, with other viewings booked. Always encourage the buyer to make their offer in writing so, if you haven’t already done so, you can ask further questions about their circumstances before you decide.

When you accept an offer it is usually ‘subject to survey’, which means as long as the survey doesn’t throw up any surprises the buyer’s offer will stand. Accepting an offer is not legally binding until contracts are exchanged. The next step is to choose your solicitor who will arrange a Memorandum of Sale (for England and Wales only) based on the terms you have agreed. This is a very simple non-binding agreement which lists the particulars of the agreement.