When was the last time you tipped an estate agent?September 2010

Tipping in the US is common place. You tip for everything, whether you got good service or not. This is not the case at home, where tipping is for good service received, often above and beyond the call of duty. So let me ask you when you last tipped an estate agent?

Would you tip them for selling your property?

In this economic climate, we all know that agents are having to work hard to sell properties. However, you'd be right to say that which it is after all, their job to sell your house isn't it.

So what is beyond the call of duty & worthy of praise?

How about the speed of selling your property?

Perhaps that is where agents should be rewarded and where we think that we should earn a bonus.

As an agent, we've looked at the frustrations that many people feel and put ourselves into your shoes. Having walked in your shoes for a while, especially during the boom times, we understand that there must a fairer way to pay your agent for selling your house. One that is fresh and completely transparent. From this we have developed a fresh way to sell your house - It's called Commission free!

With commission free, the idea is complete transparency with all that we do. You pay a fixed, one off fee for all the marketing and then you pay ZERO commission when your property is sold.

But what is our incentive to sell your property then? The challenge is that if we achieve a reasonable offer for your property within 5 months, then we've earned our bonus.

On the other hand, if we don't make the 5 month deadline, then there's nothing further to pay us.

How's that for clear?

How to show your houses' assets to the maxAugust 2010

In this new age of the internet, why do people still use Estate Agents to sell their properties. Surely they sell themselves?

No so…

The truth is that we are all good at various things but we view our houses/homes through rose tinted glasses. How many times do you look at a house and think to yourself "what awful taste"? There are ways of dressing a house for sale which only an impartial professional can help you with.

Here are some of the helpful hints we give to our clients:

1. Walk up to your house as if for the first time as first impressions have a massive impact. Does the house look welcoming, warm and lived in or does it look gloomy and foreboding. You have around 3 seconds before your potential buyer has made their mind up.
2. If the paint is grubby or wall paper peeling in any room, make the effort to fix it or paint it as the overall impression of a grubby/peeling room is "uncared for". Buyers will judge the value of the property and the amount of work they're going to have to do based on these first impressions.
3. Do the carpets need cleaning, especially in the walk ways? A dirty carpet will say to the buyer that the house may be grubby overall.
4. Are the windows overshadowed by trees or foliage? If so cut them back to allow the maximum amount of light into your room. The amount of light in a room will change the perception about the size of the room similarly a room with high ceilings will feel more roomy.
5. Can you store away your personal clutter? Some people are put off or distracted by thought of walking into someone's personal life and will not focus on the potential of the room for them. Anyone who wants to buy your property will view need to be able to visualise themselves living there, which is why the general rule of thumb is to keep spaces neutral.
6. Keep the garden tidy and the fences in good order, especially in the winter months when gardens are generally not at their best. If you have some beautiful plants, why not take some photos of them in full flower so people can see the real potential in the summer months?

When you have completed these basics, you can now move onto staging your house. Many professional organisations complicate this with art and drama, however there are a few simple things that you can do to emphasis the parts of your house that matter.

If you have a strong fireplace, big shelving units and bookcases, add some unique elements to which draw attention to predetermined areas.

Add some mirrors into rooms to increase the light. These are useful to also replace any very personal portraits or to add more light to a dark area in a room.

Use pillows and throws to add personality and warmth. Afterall, it is often the woman who makes a gut decision on whether they like the property or not.

If you're not a flower person, add plants or a bowl of fruit to add the natural, healthy look.

Don't forget to add colour into the garden too. Your potential buyers should want to get out there (regardless of the weather!)

If you need some independent, impartial advice on whether your house is ready for sale, call Michael on 02890 450 550 or email michael@michael-chandler.co.uk for a fresh approach on how to sell your property.

Brilliant news for 1st time buyers that want to get on the property ladder - Co-ownership is back in full swingAugust 2010

Click the link below to see how you can get on the property ladder without having to find a big deposit. This should help the cheaper end of the housing market - fingers crossed!

www.co-ownership.org

Outstanding investment opportunity in Ballynure available soon…August 2010

A great opportunity to make substantial profit from a DIY project is coming soon. A three storey, four bedroom house in Ballynure will be available for only £100,000! Register your interest now.

Fabulous four bedroom property in Bangor coming soon…July 2010

We have the pleasure of selling a fabulous four bedroom property in Bangor, this has to be the pick of the bunch in a lovely development.. 4 bedrooms, integral garage and landscaped gardens, register your interest now to be 1st through the door!

Look out for two amazing properties coming on soon July 2010

Two Amazing Properties will be coming on the market in the next few days, one of them made the front cover of the Northern Ireland Homes and Lifestyle magazine. The other was designed and lived in by an architect.

Two more rental properties in Newtownabbey coming soonJuly 2010

Two new rental properties will be coming to the market soon - both completely refurbished and available immediately. Register your interest now to make sure you do not miss out!

We are selling a property that comes with a "free" building siteJuly 2010

Check out our property in Comber - Dalton Drive, it is very competitively priced with others in the area but this one has outline planning permission for a single storey dwelling in the garden! This really would be a clever buy.

Register on our Facebook page to keep up to date!July 2010

Click the link below to become a fan of Michael Chandler Estate Agents on Facebook and you will be kept up to date with any property that comes on the market.. one of them could be your dream home!