One swallow may not make a summer but could make a sale!

Sat 15 March 2008

In this technological age the internet can give us all sorts of information in an instant which is great, good to start your search for a home, good to narrow down your potential list of properties to view, you can view the property on a map, see a satellite image, link to street view, find out where the schools are, find out how good they are. All good ? Well yes, it makes life easier particularly for those searching from a distance. There is even a website, a well known property portal which claims to tell you how much your house is worth – amazing - if only it were that simple!

(Photo courtesy of www.rspb.org.uk)

Yes you can find out how much someone paid for their property as this is now in the public domain. You can see whether it was detached or semi detached, you can see how many bedrooms it had but what you can’t find out is did it have a gorgeous view? Did it front on to a busy main road? Did it have a lovely garden? Has it flooded? So if you are thinking of selling, beware and do not hinder your chances of selling by believing in a computer generated price assessment.

Selling your property is likely to be the single biggest financial transaction you will ever make so you need professional advice from an Agent who knows your area, who has experience in your type of property, who will inspect your home, who will find out what attracted you to it because chances are the reason you bought it will be why someone else does!

A case in point, the house I live in was on the internet, I had dismissed it then a friend said- “you really ought to go and have a look” As I drove towards the property I noticed there was grass growing in the middle of the lane- I thought this is a good sign, must be quiet. I pulled up at the back of the property and got out of the car to find swallows swooping around me, I followed them up the path and found they were nesting in the porch – another good sign (for me anyway) I didn’t go into the house, I walked into the back garden and there stood the most beautiful magnolia tree I had ever seen, and there and then the decision was made, I knew I wanted to live there. ....and the point of this rambling? The internet couldn’t tell me these things, I’d never have known.

This is where we come in, an agent who has seen the property, sat in front of the cosy fire, seen the view, found out the quickest way to walk to the pub across the field, knows what bus stops outside, an agent who can tell prospective buyers why they should go and have a look. That’s why we’re here, to encourage people to view your home, the internet helps, our website is great but selling houses is and will remain very much a people business.

So if you are thinking of buying or selling do have a look at our website and then pick up the phone or pop into the office and we can make your move even easier.

Debbie Anderson - McCartneys Property Chairman