Whether you’re looking to sell your property or want to know if your home’s price tag has changed, there are lots of ways to roughly work out your house value. Here are our top tips:
Whilst the properties along your street might differ vastly in terms of size, condition, age and views, you can get a good idea of your house value just by knowing how much neighbouring properties have sold for. Sites like Nethouseprices and Zoopla offer this data when you enter your postcode.
If your house is a stone’s throw from the nearest tube or within walking distance of a train station en-route to a major city, it’s highly likely this will bump up your house value.
The majority of buyers prioritise “convenience” over other factors when weighing up where to live, and being close to local transport links is often a big factor for them… and estate agents know this.
If your local schools feature highly in the School League Tables then your house value will inevitably be higher than similar properties in catchment areas for under-performing schools. This is because many parents are willing to pay above the odds in order for their children to be accepted into an outstanding school.
It might sound counter-intuitive but properties in a high crime area could possibly be worth more due to dearer insurance premiums. You can find out about crime in your area at Police.uk.
England is an undeniably small country, and with the population growing at an extortionate rate, land for housing developments is becoming increasingly difficult to come by; it’s just one of the reasons building on flood plains is becoming more prevalent and problematic. So, if you are at risk of flooding or could become subject to other environmental factors, your house price might be less than you expected.
Estate agent’s windows and online property sites can be misleading when it comes to the final price of a property; they might give one figure but in reality – due to property chains and an urgency to move - many properties sell for under the asking price. To get a better idea of how much properties in your area have sold for, check out Rightmove’s price comparison report.
If you’re keen to move as soon as possible, for one reason or another, you should get in touch with us. We’ll be completely honest and frank about whether or not selling with us is the right thing for you.
When selling your house on the property market, there are a number of upfront costs and hidden fees you should take into account, but these are often overlooked amidst the excitement of the move itself. The realisation of these amounting fees might make you think twice about selling with an estate agent!
To ensure your moving budget is accurate (before you take out a mortgage!), it’s important to consider and watch out for these hidden costs.
Agent’s commission
The agent’s commission is usually the most expensive cost when selling your house.
Estate agents often charge between 1.5-3% of the value sold, plus VAT. So, for an average priced house (£250,000), you’d be charged up to £6,000 in estate agents fees alone! Quite a hefty sum when you consider all the other costs of moving house…
Legal costs
When it comes to legal costs, these tend to vary, however, most fees of this nature amount to 0.5% of the property sale. In the majority of property sales, legal costs start from £1,000.
Surveyors
This cost usually falls to the buyer of the property, but if you’re concerned that your house has serious faults that ought to be addressed before you put it on the market, you’re best getting a survey carried out; this can cost anywhere from £500 up to £2,500.
Energy Performance Certificate
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is now a compulsory document which must be obtained prior to moving house and displayed somewhere within the property (i.e. in the meter cupboard or on the boiler). An EPC usually costs £75 - £150.
Mortgage repayments
When moving house, you still need to consider your monthly mortgage repayments.
On average, it takes six months to sell a property on the market, so you’ll still be making these repayments during this time.
The move
Moving costs can stack up at an alarming rate, with the average person spending approximately £600 on removal vans, packaging, and new address cards!
Please note, the above figures apply only to those selling properties on the market. Those selling to private buyers may not incur the same costs. We pride ourselves on our no fees policy; we cover all legal costs incurred, as well as the RICS survey and we do not charge agency fees.
Upping sticks, moving house and starting a new life is an exciting prospect, but with the arduous job of selling your house (not to mention packing and unpacking at the other end), there’s no denying that moving house can be hectic and somewhat daunting.
We’ve put together a host of moving house tips to ensure your move goes smoothly.
One of the greatest difficulties with moving house is timing it so that the sale of your house coincides with your next home’s owners moving out – and that is a rarity.
Losing the house you’ve had your heart set on can be upsetting, and that’s why more and more people are choosing to sell directly to fast house buyers – it eliminates the property chain, inevitable heartaches of losing properties and speeds up the process of moving house.
Besides letting your friends and family know your new address, you’ll also need to notify your energy, water, and broadband suppliers.
The biggest challenge here is moving your broadband across to the new house. Where possible, try to ensure there is a landline in your new home so that your broadband can be enabled more easily. Also, sticking with the same provider will be easier (and cheaper) than switching.
It’s only when people come to pack up their worldly belongings that they realise just how much “stuff” they have.
While you might think you can move your items in a couple of car journeys, realistically you’re going to need something much bigger.
Hiring a removal van can be costly but it will considerably reduce the stress of back-and-forth trips in the car. If you’ve got a lot of possessions, fragile items, and heavy furniture then a removal company (or hiring a van) is a worthwhile investment.
When moving house, it can be all too tempting to squeeze things into boxes in an unorderly fashion, just to get the job done quickly. But pack right and you could save yourself a lot of time and hassle at the other end.
Make sure you pack the things you’ll need access to in a separate box. Safely storing keys, phones, moving documents, baby food – even toothbrushes will save you having to rummage through every sealed box!
Moving house is exciting for children, but if it means leaving their friends behind it can be a difficult time for them too.
Try to keep your children involved on the moving day. Give them little tasks to do, like unpacking their bedroom and toy boxes. Alternatively, leave them with close friends or family so that when they arrive at their new home, their bedroom and toys are all in place for them.
Vivo Property Buyers is the trading name for Potrell London Ltd, The Ashridge Business Centre 121 High Street, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 2DJ.
