Thinking of moving in 2026? What sellers need to get right from the start
If a house move is on your agenda for the year ahead, the start of 2026 is a good moment to pause and consider the practical realities involved.
Some may seem obvious, but they are often overlooked. Others are less apparent and therefore rarely considered, yet are just as important.
Starting in the obvious camp, presentation ahead of marketing is essential so starting with decluttering may be a useful New Year’s resolution.
Likewise, maintenance matters, even when it involves only the simplest tasks, such as clearing dead leaves from gutters or gullies to prevent storm damage. This upkeep should be ongoing, with the understanding that more may be required, as first impressions are more important than ever.
But preparing for sale does not simply involve having a good tidy up ahead of photography.
Property sales take place in an ever-compliant world necessitating EPCs, anti-money laundering checks, gas and electric safety inspections plus increasing legal obligation to disclose material information.
If you know you have any issue, please don’t ignore, involve your agent – and potentially solicitor – early before you start marketing to help the subsequent sale process.
Understandably, price features large in the mind for every seller. It is said valuation is an art not a science, and the more unusual a property might be, the more likely the variance as to what different agents might consider what your property to be worth.
It is easy, and tempting, to appoint the agent who quotes you the highest price. Indeed, there are agents whose job is solely to secure instructions, with little regard to the minor matter of then finding the buyer.
Do consider an agent’s experience, their knowledge of the market and ask them to justify their price recommendation.
Don’t forget the valuer for your buyer’s lender will undertake a similar exercise in due course. Optimistic pricing is one thing but ignoring the evidence at the outset, in the hope you might just land lucky, rarely if ever pays off.
Preparation, presentation and correct pricing are critical from the outset, and so you now take a deep breath and start the selling process.
You are right to be positive, in the same way that your agent will be proactive with their online, digital and traditional marketing strategy, all of which is aimed at securing you the best possible price on the most favourable terms.
However, there is one further ingredient to add to the mix: pragmatism. If your agent has done everything they should and you receive an early offer — ideally more than one — within the price range previously suggested by several agents, the key question is whether to accept or hold out in the hope of a higher bid.
You might have only been for sale for a month and are tempted to waiting for the spring, with potentially lower interest rates an added consideration.
Your garden will of course look better, potentially there maybe be more buyers about, but don’t forget there will be added competition from property coming newly to the market.
There is an old adage in estate agency - early interest is often best interest. Food for thought.
GSC Grays estate agents, gscgrays.co.uk