2008 is just a few days away, and that means the next peak time for getting your house on the market is fast approaching.
Late January and February are key times to put on a property sale. The chance to take time off at Christmas makes many people reflect on how they feel about their current home and consider a move.
You may be in a similar position right now. If you are, what are the various options open to you?
The first one to look at is putting on a private property sale yourself. The internet has made this a popular choice in recent years, as it has made it easier for buyers and sellers to find each other.
Private sales have the advantage of being very cost effective. You don't have to pay anyone any commission, and you choose exactly what costs are involved. If you don't want to splash out on a board to go up outside the house - don't!
But the downside is that you are on your own. At every stage of the selling process you must rely on your own intuition without an expert to advise you. Some people are happy with this, but if you're not, your lack of confidence could cost you a lot of time and money.
Another option is to look at is selling your house to a cash buyer, or one of these companies that will buy your house and rent it back to you.
This can be a quick way to realize cash from your property. But it has its downsides, which is why it's typically only considered by people who are looking at a property sale because they are being threatened with repossession, or they are going through a nasty divorce and want to speed things up.
The main downside of a cash sale is that you won't get the full value of your house. Cash buyers are investors - they need to see a return on their money in the future. So there's every incentive for them to pay as little as possible for your home.
One more option is to do a property sale at auction. This is again an extreme way to sell. It works very well for houses that are highly unusual, or in need of quite a bit of work. It's also a good way of disposing of a buy-to-let that already has tenants.
For most people though, the obvious and popular way to sell a house is to instruct an estate agent. More people pick this method than any other because they want an expert to help them get the most money for their house.
Dealing with property for sale is something agents do all the time, so unless you have lots of experience in private sales or with auctions, you should consider this route above all others.
Estate agents make their money by charging a commission on your property sale, meaning they're the most expensive option. But in return they give you all of their expertise marketing a property and getting the most for it.
Good agents will take a proactive approach to your property sale. They won't just put a For Sale sign up and hope the inquiries come flooding in. Instead they will proactively offer it to people who have previously inquired with them about homes for sale.
They will have access to local and national advertising such as powerful property portals. Plus many have High Street premises that will attract a lot of attention from buyers.
Your agent will also employ specialist trained staff who be able to offer you professional advice throughout; not just on the sale process, but in areas such as getting a Home Information pack ready and picking the right mortgage.
