Seven things that matter when selling a property
This page brings together seven things that, in practice, bear on how long a sale takes and what it realises. None of them is decisive on its own: their weight has to be judged case by case.
1. The asking price
The first two or three weeks are when the property is seen by people who have been searching for months and are ready to decide. Once that window has passed, every later reduction signals that something is not convincing, and the final negotiation starts from a weaker position.
2. The documents, before the offer
A cadastral discrepancy, a mortgage never removed or a succession not registered become, if they surface after an offer has been accepted, leverage in the buyer's hands. The same matters, resolved beforehand, carry no weight in the negotiation.
3. The photographs
The first viewing happens on a screen and lasts moments. No staging is needed: what is needed is daylight, tidy rooms, the camera at the right height and enough shots to document the whole property, cellar and garage included. Against the value of the transaction it is a modest cost.
4. The description of the property
Floor area, storey, energy rating, service charges, works approved, appurtenances: these are the details buyers look for first, and when they are missing the result is a query or a move to the next listing. A complete listing reduces the number of enquiries that lead nowhere.
5. Stating the restriction
The residents' restriction appears on the land register extract, so it will come to light in any case: at the notary, at the bank or with the buyer's surveyor. Leaving it out does not widen the audience; it only lengthens the road to a negotiation that will break off.
6. Selecting the viewings
Two considerations. The first is safety: people about whom nothing is known are being let into the house. The second is the negotiation: a seller is emotionally involved, answers objections defensively and quickly concedes what would have been kept in a negotiation conducted at arm's length.
7. Strategy after the first months
If after three months there are no responses, the cause usually lies in the price, the photographs, or something about the property that raises doubts and has not been explained. Acting on one of the three is what changes the outcome; meanwhile the listing ages on the portals.
In short
- A price in line with comparables from the start
- Documents before publication, not after the offer
- Photographs in daylight, and enough of them
- A complete listing: area, storey, energy rating, charges
- State the restriction: it appears on the extract in any case
- Qualify viewings before the appointment
- After three months review the strategy, not the agency
Frequently asked questions
The property has been online for months with no enquiries.
No enquiries usually points to a problem with the price or the photographs. Many enquiries and no offer usually points to the property being different in person from how it was presented. These are opposite situations calling for opposite responses: the first useful step is to look at the figures, not to cut the price on impulse.
How long does a sale usually take?
There is no figure that holds for everyone: it depends on the area, the type of property, the price and any restriction. What can be observed is that the time is largely decided at the outset — in the price and the preparation — and much less afterwards. A date given before the property has been seen has no basis.
Official sources
Note
This guide is general information written by an estate agency. It does not replace advice from a notary, an accountant or the surveyor handling the property. The rules cited are those in force at the date of publication.
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