What would you do if your neighbour’s house was up for sale and you were planning to sell? Would you perceive this to be a good thing? Or would you wait until they’ve sold? Perhaps you don’t need to imagine and this is a situation that you’re facing at the moment?
There’s really no need to worry, as long as you adopt the right attitude.
In fact, a bit of friendly competition can actually help to sell a property. So here’s what you should do:
1. Don’t wait until your neighbour sells before you put your house on the market. As we’ve just said, competition is normally positive and may mean that both homes get more attention and more viewings. How many times have you seen a street with lots of sold signs on it? Interest generally leads to more interest with viewers booking to see more than one property at a time.
2. Do your homework. Find out all you can about the other property so that you know how it compares to yours. Does it have a bigger kitchen or garden? Has it been decorated recently? Look carefully through all the photographs on Rightmove and Zoopla, and look at them through a buyer’s eyes. How does your house compare, and how can your house be improved?
3. Talk to them. If you don’t already know your neighbour, go and talk to them about your properties. If you treat the situation as a joint marketing opportunity, you have a much better chance of both achieving a sale. Be as honest and open with your neighbour as you can, and discuss your reasons for moving, your timescales and the price that you want / need.
Remember, you are much stronger as a united front.
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