Spring has finally sprung after a long, wet winter.  Gardens are starting to come into bloom and buyers are out in force looking for their next home.  If you've been on the market for a while already, or the children are home for the holidays, you might be wondering how you can turn viewings into a successful sale.  And when you do get that all important offer, how do you make sure you'll be moving in the summer?  All your questions about selling at Easter ready for a summer move are right here!

Spring is a wonderful time to sell a home - the flowers are coming into bloom, gardens have begun to flourish and a little bit of sunshine makes everyone's home look better and lifts everyone's mood.  Buyers have always traditionally started searching for their new home in spring, and the property portals tell us that this is still the case today.

If you're thinking of selling your home, or your home is on the market right now, you may have some questions about how to make your move a success.  Here are some of the key questions we get asked every year by our clients at Stowhill Estates.

"My house has been on the market since winter - now my garden is flowering, should I get new photographs taken?"

Winter gardens can look a little, well, sad.  Bare trees and shrubs, bare earth and leaf-covered, muddy lawns and even a sprinkling of snow or frost can all be a bit off-putting to buyers.  So when your garden starts coming back to life, it's a really good idea to get some fresh and colourful images taken to showcase it to buyers.  At Stowhill Estates we offer new garden images free of charge to our clients, to make sure their images online are always as current and attractive as possible.  Why not ask your agent if they can do likewise?

"If I get an offer now, when can I expect to be moved by?"

Nationwide, the current time from accepting an offer to handing over the keys is around 12 weeks, but this can vary hugely depending on your buyer's position, finance needed, any complications with the sale, how long the local authority takes to return searches, and how busy solicitors are.  If you have a straightforward sale with no chain and your buyer doesn't need a mortgage, then you could reasonably expect to be moved by the summer, or in around 10 weeks from accepting an offer.  Any complications or chain delays can more than double this, so ask an expert about your specific situation.  We're always happy to offer our advice on timescales and what to expect.  Just drop us a line to hello@stowhillestates.com and we'll arrange a time to call you for a chat.

"I don't know how I'm going to keep my house tidy during the Easter holidays!  Should I take a break from the market?"

We feel your pain!  Selling a house with children off school is never an easy task, but there are some things you can do to help make your viewings successful and stress-free.

• Encourage (bribe) your children to tidy up and keep tidy.  Daily inspections with reward stickers for younger children and cash for older teens usually does the trick.
• Keep the children out of the house as much as possible, so your home stays tidier!
• Takeaways or eating out if you have an imminent viewing booked will save you having to clean your kitchen.
• Resist the urge to do 'messy' playtime with the kids if you have viewings arranged - no finger painting, Play-doh or baking!
• Make sure you're out of the house for viewings, so you don't feel stressed.  Being under pressure to have perfectly behaved children will not result in an enjoyable viewing for you or your buyers.
• If you have a real house-full and would really rather not have to cope with viewings during the school holidays, tell your agent.  They'll be understanding if you want to take a break from the market until the kids go back to school.

"I'm thinking about moving home - is now a good time?"

A great question!  We're sure you've heard it's still a 'seller's market' right now, and has been pretty much since the start of the pandemic three years ago.  But, things are starting to change.  More homes are coming to the market, and that means more choice for buyers and more competition for sellers, creating downward pressure on house prices.  Increasing mortgage interest rates means buyers are becoming more cautious about viewing and offering on homes they feel are overpriced.  Prices and activity levels remain strong, but the days of huge scarcity and multiple bids on properties are well and truly behind us.  What does this mean for you if you're selling?  Well, homes that are well presented, priced competitively and beautifully marketed are still attracting a good deal of interest from serious buyers.

"What are most buyers looking for right now?"

Some homes are inevitably in more demand than others - our buyers are looking for specific features, like work-from-home space, proximity to good schools, and often want a home with potential to extend.  Homes with land and homes on the edge of villages within walking distance of facilities are very popular right now.  Whatever your home has to offer, we'd love to have a chat with you and tell you whether we have buyers registered who are looking for a home just like yours.  Just drop us a line to hello@stowhillestates.com to get the ball rolling.

"I thought this was supposed to be a seller's market, but my home still hasn't had much interest.  What can I do?"

It's hugely disappointing when you're excited to put your home on the market and no-one seems interested.  Especially if neighbouring properties are selling fast around you.  The three key drivers of any successful property sale are presentation, price and promotion: how well your home is presented to the market, and whether it competes on how modern rooms like its kitchen and bathrooms are; whether the price is competitive and not overly optimistic; and finally, but probably the most important of the three, how your home is marketed.  The images, written description and brochure are more important than most people assume, and just improving them can have a dramatic impact on how much interest a home receives.  We've taken on homes, styled them and changed the photography, and sold them straight away without changing the price at all!  So if you're not sure if your marketing is really showcasing your home, we'll be frank and tell you honestly if it is.  Send us a link to your home at hello@stowhillestates.com and we'll tell you how you can improve your marketing and attract the right buyer.

If you have any questions at all about any of the points raised in this article, or if you'd like a friendly, no-strings chat with our teams in Oxfordshire, The Cotswolds, Cheltenham or Berkshire about your house sale, we'd love to help you.  Drop us a line to hello@stowhillestates.com and let's get you moving!