How to Get Your Home Ready for a Sale

Rental Property

There’s no denying it. The UK’s housing market is currently under an intense amount of strain.

With the world finally coming out the other side of the covid tunnel, there is pent-up housing demand. An increase in those working from home, along with a nationwide saving of £180bn, has caused a peculiar housing market situation.

So why, when the country is facing the worst recession in 300 years, are people snapping houses up like hotcakes?

  • The stamp duty holiday – With the end of the stamp duty holiday on the horizon, many are trying to make the most of this period. Some recent research has shown that the stamp duty holiday actually ends earlier than the 30th of June when you take search time into account.
  • First-time buyer mortgage guarantees – The new, government-backed first-time buyer mortgage scheme, is helping those buying a house for the first time to get onto the property ladder with just a 5% deposit. 
  • Time to save – With the lack of expensive holidays to buy, and no restaurants to spend our money in, many have taken lockdown as an opportunity to save. Unfortunately, a lot of people had the same idea and are now in a position to buy. 
  • Working from home – City goers that previously thought they could never live without the hustle and bustle, are now seeking greener surroundings. With a push to work from home, many are looking to vacate the city and occupy somewhere with more pleasant scenery. 

The real question is, with the current housing market siding with the seller, do you actually have everything you need to be able to sell?

There is currently a vast gap between those looking to buy a house and the number of houses for sale. Enquiries are up by 18% when compared to the same period last year (according to Rightmove) which has resulted in a market frenzy! If you do decide to sell now, you’re sure to get a whole lot of interest and are in an extremely strong position to get the very best price for your house. 

However, many of those that put their house on the market face quite a shock when the buyer finds out that their mortgage provider can’t lend based on a lack of the right certifications. This mostly applies to houses that have been recently converted or newly built. 

Here are the main things you need to think about before putting your house on the market:

  1. Do your research- As tempting as it may be to just make a snap decision, you need to do your own research. Talk to the right people, and make sure that the decision to sell is absolutely right for you.
  2. Get certified- If you’ve recently renovated or converted a property and are looking to sell it, you need to make sure that you’ve got the right certifications. Doing things by the book is essential when you’re converting property or building a brand new house. If not, you can get caught out with a house that’s either uninhabitable or unsellable.
  3. Check your property- If you have built or converted a property and you wish to sell to someone that needs a mortgage, then you must ensure that it was built or converted under a building standards indemnity scheme that’s acceptable to mortgage lenders. More often than not, mortgage lenders will only lend on a newly built or newly converted property when it has been covered by a warranty scheme or Professional Consultants Certificate (PCC).
  4. Contact a professional- To make sure that you can sell your newly built home, we’d suggest getting in touch with someone that can provide you with a Professional Consultants Certificate.
  5. Sell your property-  One of the main benefits of a Professional Consulting Certificate is its speed. As long as your property passes inspection, you can expect to receive your PCC within 24 hours. Get ready to put your house on the market and sell with ease.

The infographic below explains exactly what’s involved in getting a certificate and why you should get one. You can also visit here to read more about the situations that might require a PCCertificate.