FAQs

Traditionally there used to be a ‘spring bounce’ and other peaks in activity however we find that there is not as much seasonal change now.  The best time to sell is when you are ready!  Some agents say the winter is a ‘quiet’ time but we often find December is one of our busiest months!

It’s important that when you market your home, that you make it as attractive as possible to prospective purchasers. Having said that it may well be that if you spend a lot of time and effort renovating the property you won’t see a return on this investment as your taste and a buyers may be different.  

If you have rooms which are very dark colours / have a very ‘busy’ wallpaper it may be worth redecorating in neutral colours 

Our valuers are experienced and will give you their advice when they carry out a free valuation, it may be a better option to reflect work which needs to be done in the price.  

Sole agency is where only one agent will be actively marketing your property, multi agency is where you instruct more than one agent.  If you have signed a sole agency contract you will need to check with the estate agent first before instructing another agent as you may find that you are liable to pay two fees!  

There are advantages and disadvantages to both, with more than one estate agent trying to sell your home they will be actively pushing to sell the property, however some buyers may think that you are desperate if they see lots of boards outside your home. 

We have a range of fee packages which include different things, our valuers will talk through the options with you to try to find the best one for you. 

How long is a piece of string? It can vary from a few days to a few months or even years!  The location, price and condition of a property generally determine how quickly a property will sell.

A house in good condition which is sensibly priced in a popular location will always achieve a sale more quickly than one in poor condition in a less popular area.  

Not really, buyers are normally very knowledgeable about the prices of properties in an area if your property has an optimistic price then the chances are they will be put off looking in the first place.  It is important that you price your property correctly to ensure that when it is fresh on the market it stands the best chance of selling. 

Using an ‘offers over’ strategy encourages buyers as your property is more attractively priced than similar properties in the same area. 

No! We have a panel of solicitors who we recommend who will offer you a ‘ no sale, no fee’ fixed price conveyancing quote but you do not have to use them, you can use any solicitor you choose. 

No, you are not obligated to accept an offer on your property, we will always try to negotiate the best price for you but you don’t have to accept an offer. 

We will financially qualify the people who offer on your property and you will then be able to make a decision as to which offer you think is best.  A first time buyer who can proceed straight away might be a more attractive option than a buyer who has to sell their property, but the choice of who to sell to is always yours. 

Again this is an impossible question to answer, it depends on the financial position of your buyer if they are a cash buyer it could be days, if they have a house to sell and are in a chain it could be months!   Your solicitor will keep you updated as to a likely completion date, but it will also depend if you are buying another property and the situation of the chain above you. 

A buyer will normally arrange for a survey to get an expert opinion on the condition of your property.  A surveyor’s job is to look for problems and if anything of concern arises from the survey a buyer may ask to have someone who is experienced in the area look into this further, buyers may also ask to reduce the price they are paying or for you to have work carried out to correct any issues.  It may be worth considering re-negotiating if these issues would be of concern to other buyers but you don’t have to. 

Gazumping is where a new buyer offers a higher price for a property when a sale is already underway to a different buyer.  It may be tempting to consider accepting a higher offer but it is always worth considering how close to completion a sale is, as the saying goes ‘ a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush’.

Gazundering is a where a buyer reduces their offer at the last minute!

We are happy to carry out viewings for you free of charge, during office hours and also at weekends.

Not at all, if you inherited a Van Gogh painting how would you sell it? Auction is for motivated sellers who are looking to achieve the best price for their property with a buyer who is committed to purchasing the property.  See our auction pages for more information.

Whilst a lot of people start their search online, we offer alternatives, most buyers will buy a different property to the one they originally started looking for.  We offer alternatives as we know the local area and we have thousands of properties to offer.   With twenty nine offices in the North East you can call into any of our offices and speak to us, or you can call us seven days a week.