Uncommon Advice

   In the future, if Marketing students need to write an essay about a "Buyers Market" then they could do no better than a case study of UK property in 2008. More and more vendors are beginning to realise that they need to something special - but many are still oblivious to what is actually going to sell their house. In reality there are only three rules to maximise your chances of getting a sale

1. There is no shortage of stock out there. For your house to be noticed above all the others then you need to be presenting it at it's very best. Get the kids toys hidden in the garage. Give the house a lick of paint. Get the front door washed down and the stairs hoovered. If you can't manage these things then you need to drop the asking price into the first banding that makes your place look like Buckingham Palace.

2. Again - there is no shortage of stock out there. Your house must be keenly priced or it will sit on the shelf for a year. Have a look on Rightmove and bring up your competition. If rule 1 (make your house the most attractive amongst it competition) does not fit then you must make it the cheapest in its group. If you can't make it the cheapest in its group, perhaps because you have no equity, then you'd better get the feather duster out!

3. Not all Estate Agents are equal. Ask your agent how they finished in the last board count (they'll know what you mean). If they weren't first or second then dump them. Don't go multi - you'll look desperate and the individual agents will try less to sell your property as they may put in a lot of effort only for someone else to steal their glory. Get a board up - a good 25% of sales will come from people on your street or individuals visiting them. Get into the 21st Century. If your agent is not on Rightmove then they just aren't in the game.

In reality - only 1 in 10 properties that are currently on the market will be abiding by these rules. So if you currently can't sell take a good look at your situation.