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buyers

The first step is finding a reputable agent you can trust from the first meeting. If Lisney is active in your area, we can arrange a free detailed inspection and walk-through, at any time that suits you. After this thorough preliminary work, we’ll sit down with you and discuss the valuation of your home, market trends, the cost of selling, and answer any of your questions. After this meeting we will give you a realistic estimate of your home’s selling price, and discuss your options.

For a simple breakdown of this process, you can download our Ultimate Home seller’s Checklist.

Selling a home can be stressful, as it’s an important life decision. For most people, it’s their most valuable asset, and it’s natural to feel protective of it. After decades of experience we’ve learned that people really value the advice and guidance of a third party.

Viewers are often reluctant to give their honest opinions to the homeowner, for fear of being too direct or personal. A neutral estate agent can answer any of their tricky questions, backed up by extensive industry knowledge.

This knowledge can also be called on selling off-market. Agents will have a current list of buyers in the area, which may help sellers who are under pressure to make a quick sale. Agents can also advise on the type of sale, the marketing campaign and the optimum time to sell your home.

Most importantly, estate agents will have valuable information on buyers in the market, as the highest bidder is not necessarily the best option. And once you have finally agreed on a seller, agents can start taking care of the paperwork, such as organising booking deposits and chasing contracts.

Everyone’s circumstances are different. Maybe you have a growing family and you need more space, so a sale may seem urgent. Or maybe you just want to downsize, so you’re in no rush to move.

I always tell sellers to have a look around the neighbourhood. If you can see lots of For Sale signs it might not be the best time to sell. If a buyer can choose between four similar homes on the same road they have more bargaining power.

As a general rule, a higher number of properties for sale in an area is good news for the buyer, and fewer properties on sale is better for the vendor.

If you choose Lisney and we do the initial valuation, we immediately start our marketing campaign for your home. We then arrange a professional photographer to capture shots of your home when it suits you. Once we start marketing your home through all of our channels, we arrange an open viewing, usually held on a Saturday.

The open viewing lasts between one and two hours and you don’t need to be there. We can also arrange private appointments for viewers who can’t make Saturday viewings, to ensure all buyers are considered.

First impressions count — buyers are influenced by what they see as soon as they arrive at a home. They’ll be swayed by a nicely painted front door and a well-maintained entrance.

The second, and most important rule is to make sure your home is clean. It may sound simple, but well-made beds with crisp new linen will make a great first impression. And if you have any clutter, get rid of it! This will remove distraction, and make the space look bigger and more inviting.

That’s why hiring an agent with the right experience is crucial. We will calculate a suitable asking price based on your desired amount, balanced with the price you can actually realise on the market.

We can generally gauge the level of interest in your property within four weeks of it going on the market. There are many factors that may affect demand — for example, you may need to update your decor, or there may be a lot of properties for sale in your area. If the market suggests your asking price is too high, we can reassess the price and guide you at every stage.

If you have any more questions about selling your home, get in touch today. With nearly a century of experience in the Irish property market, there’s no question we can’t answer! And for all the latest news from Lisney, follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Before anything, your first step should be to establish your budget. Get in touch with your bank and schedule an appointment with a mortgage broker. They will be able to figure out how much you can borrow and at what rates, so you can be better prepared in terms of saving for a deposit.

Once you know how your finances stand, you should begin to look at websites and property portals to get an idea of the homes and the neighbourhoods within your budget. Start thinking about what you’d like in your home, as well as non-negotiables. These are different for every buyer – you might think outdoor space is essential, while another buyer might be more interested in location.

Generally, as a first-time buyer you will need to have a deposit of 10% of the purchase price from your savings. The maximum mortgage you can get for a property is 90%. You will also have to budget for legal fees, surveys, and other outlays.

Either bank mortgage brokers or independent mortgage brokers can arrange for you to apply for a mortgage. You will need to provide details of your income and other relevant information, such as other loans you might have.

There are various schemes home buyers can take advantage of to help offset the cost of buying. For example, if you’re purchasing a new home, you can apply for the Help-to-Buy Scheme. Visit our New Homes FAQs to learn more!

Initially, you will receive Approval in Principle (AIP), which means it's time to start house hunting. Set up alerts on property portal websites, so you know when new homes within your budget come to the market first. Have your list of negotiables and essentials ready, so you can be discerning about homes you want to view.

Be ready to set aside a few Saturdays to attend open viewings. At an open viewing, an agent will take you through the home and answer any questions you may have. They will also be your point-of-contact if you’ve found ‘the one’ and want to place a bid.

Get in touch with the selling agent. You can submit your offer either verbally or in writing. Bear in mind the name of the game is negotiation – you might end up in a bidding situation with multiple bids. As discussed earlier, you will still have to pay legal fees and surveys.

Offers submitted are on the basis that they are subject to contract, survey and formal loan approval.

If you do find yourself in a bidding situation, or one in which your bid has not been accepted, you should have an opportunity to make a counter or higher offer.

A good estate agent will be key here. Ask them to let you know of any offers received from other bidders, and if the final offer comes from another buyer, remind the agent that you are ready to buy and ask them to include you on their database for any other similar properties that come to the market. They might even know of a home you haven’t seen or thought about, one that could be perfect for your and your family!

There are a few steps left before you can call the moving van! You’ll first send a booking deposit to the estate agent. This is refundable until contracts are signed. From there, your solicitor and the seller’s solicitor will get in touch to hammer out contract details.

You’ll want to arrange a survey of the property before signing contracts, to ensure that the home you want to move into doesn’t have any hidden concerns. Once you have the OK from your surveyor, it’s time to exchange contracts, get the keys and pop open a bottle of bubbly – you’re ready to move in!

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