In this latest New Homes podcast Tom Roberts asks Anna Evans-Kerr, sales director at Redrow NW, and property expert Jessica Moreau, national sales director at Simplify Property Services, about how you can take the stress out of selling your home.
WHAT’S MORE STRESSFUL, BUYING OR SELLING YOUR HOME?
“Both are stressful,” says Jess. “For me personally I would say buying a home, because the home you’re buying is the home you’ve fallen absolutely in love with, so making sure it all goes through in a quick and timely manner and you don’t lose that house is quite stressful.”
For Anna, selling can be the most stressful, especially with the concerns which come with selling a second-hand property.
WHAT’S THE PROPERTY MARKET LIKE AT THE MOMENT?
“Over the last few years the property market has been absolutely buoyant, it’s been crazy,” explains Anna. “We are starting to see signs of it normalising a little bit, however customers are still coming in and wanting to live in our homes; we are building in such fantastic locations, and we are seeing that the demand is still there.”
Supply, adds Jess, is starting to outweigh demand for the first time in almost two years.
WHAT ARE THE STRESSES OF SELLING YOUR HOME, AND WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE?
Hosting an open house day - with a single day set aside for viewings can be a good way forward, according to Jess, who explains why they can help remove some of the pressures on those selling.
Anna says: “My biggest tip is not to wait for too long. If you have gone to a development and fallen in love with one of our properties in your absolute ideal location, try not to wait. A lot of people think ‘I’ve got to paint the kitchen ceiling’ or ‘I’ve got to do this before it goes on (the market) and actually time’s moving fast and demand is still there.”
BUYING A REDROW HOME COMES WITH MANY ADVANTAGES
For those buying a new home from a developer, there is usually lots of help at hand.
Anna says: “There’s support for our customers from the moment they walk in.” That comes in the form of new homes experts who can detail the buying process, help from independent financial advisors, new home solicitors, and more.
“You can get on with your busy, day-to-day life, and let us do the work for you,” adds Anna.
At Simplify - one of the UK’s leading conveyancing and property services, made up of Moving Made Easy and Move With U - Jess and her team assist sales by getting Redrow buyers in a proceedable position as soon as possible. They use a multi-agency approach to drive activity and drive up the sales price: “It takes an average of 29 days for a property to sell on the open market. However, when utilising schemes like Help to Sell, we are able to get a Redrow customer a sale within 21 days (on average).”
Anna explains how easy it is to register with Help to Sell, with no charge and no obligation ‘to get the ball rolling’.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HELP TO SELL?
If you have an existing house to sell it can get you to the point where you can reserve your chosen plot more quickly than if you sold on the open market - and save you hassle. Jess says: “You’ll be given a main point of contact at our office who will do everything on your behalf. Redrow customers are given complete control ultimately with all the decision making but we will cut down all the noise and make it as smooth as possible. A lot of the to-ing and fro-ing with estate agents, arranging viewings, negotiating offers, dealing with enquiries, is all done with our team.”
Anna adds: “Help to Sell is for every customer, a customer that’s downsizing, a customer that’s upsizing, or someone that’s relocating.”
ARE THERE CONCERNS ABOUT USING HELP TO SELL?
People are concerned they won’t get as high a price, but this isn’t the case, says Jess: “On average a UK property will achieve 98% of its asking price. At the moment we are achieving over 100% of the asking price for Help to Sell customers.”
Anna stresses when customer is in a chain, Help to Sell investigates that chain to the very bottom, finding out any weak links and enabling a customer to choose the best offer and option for them.
With the help of expert sales teams, Anna adds: “We will give you our full support, we will take out the stress as much as we can and we keep in contact with you … to help you with your journey.”
HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HELP TO SELL?
Redrow is hosting a national Help to Sell Weekend on Saturday July 16th - Sunday 17th at developments across the country, when experts including sales consultants, and Jess and her team, will be on hand to explain more and answer all your questions.
And next weekend there is a special incentive for customers who make a Help to Sell application.
Find your nearest development and book your appointment today.
