La Résidence is a UK estate agents selling French property and when you’re selling your house in France, there’s much more to marketing your property than taking a few snaps and getting the tape measure out. Yes, the fundamentals of the property itself are, of course, important but when people are buying homes abroad then they are buying a lifestyle, not just a property.
Climate, food, scenery, community & transport links are likely to be equally as important to a potential buyer as the nuts and bolts of the house itself.
Working closely with you, we can make sure that the key features of your property that will appeal to an international buyer have been identified and the property listing will then be given maximum exposure across a range of advertising platforms.
In this digital age virtually all property searches are done online. Getting the all-important advert looking as good as possible to make your property stand out from the crowd are key.
When you’re ready to sell a house in France, we’ve put together a list of 5 steps to consider when preparing your house for the market.
The 5 Step Guide to Selling French Property
Step 1: Make sure the house is looking its’ best
This will of course be important for the photographs, but it’s also important to consider the first impression your potential buyers’ will make in those 30 seconds it takes them to walk from their car up to the door. Those first impressions really matter:
Make a list of ‘easy wins’ such as:
- Paint the front door, sills & shutters (if you have them)
- Mow the lawn & tidy the garden
- Clean the windows (also important for letting in as much light as possible for the photos)
Complete any DIY & repairs
- Address any broken fences, wobbly gates or flakey paintwork, especially those at the front of the property
- Check for any loose roof tiles and fix accordingl
- Consider making any necessary septic tank repairs or upgrades to improve the energy efficiency of the property
- Finish off the jobs you’ve been meaning to get around to for years, but have successfully put off till now....
Simple jobs can make a disproportionately big difference.
Step 2: Taking Tip-Top Photos
- Photos are the single most important factor in the marketing of your property. The ‘easy wins’ in step 1 should ensure that the house is looking its best. Here are some top-tips for taking good photos:
- Ideally take the photos on a digital camera, however a smartphone or tablet is adequate
- The most important photo is the exterior house shot. It must be in landscape format & show the house in its’ entirety
- Photos should be taken on a sunny day
- Open all shutters and windows
- Turn televisions off & lamps on
- If the house has a pool, again ensure it’s a sunny day, the cover is off, the pool surround swept and tidy, and any cleaning paraphernalia is cleared away.
- A home abroad is as much about the lifestyle as the property, so some photos of the local area are also valuable
We have a full tick-list of presentation suggestions and photography tips that we know make a big difference to how your property will present on the all-important online-market place. You can see the full list of tips on selling french property in our Vendors’ Guide: ‘How to sell my house in France’.
Step 3: The Property Details
The La Résidence marketing team will create a written description of your property in our ‘house-style’ and we have a questionnaire you can follow so that we can capture the information you need. That document is available here.
It is important to highlight all the positive selling points of a property and the surrounding area, but, it is equally important to inform us of anything that has, or could potentially have a negative impact on the property or immediate surroundings.
Aside from the legal requirements when selling property in France to provide an honest account of your property, we find that giving a ‘warts n all’ assessment and highlighting any imperfections in advance of a visit results in a more positive viewing experience and a sense of trust is established from the outset.
Step 4: Pricing
Pitching the property at the correct price is key. Potential buyers will be scrolling through 1000’s of property adverts and they tend to be keenly savvy on price. When it comes to shortlisting properties for their viewing trips, if yours is on the heavy-side, it may not even get a look in.
If you are wondering ‘how do I sell my house in france from the UK’, it can be a useful exercise to put yourself in a potential buyers’ shoes and check out the market and see what your competition might be.
Step 5: How to Prepare for House Viewings
Before each viewing, follow the tips in Step 1. We also have a ‘setting the stage’ section in our Vendor Guide, to ensure the house is looking its best. If the house is a second home or you’re not there, consider paying someone local to open up and prepare the house for viewings.
It’s a well-worn phrase, but people buy from people. Be friendly, personal and positive. Show the potential buyers the house, but also let them wander around by themselves. And remember, they will be just as interested in the neighbourhood, the local restaurants & markets as they will be in the house itself.
La Résidence is a UK-based, french property agency and we specialise in marketing french property predominantly to international buyers. Do feel free to take a look at our Vendors’ guide and if you would like to find out what we do and how we might be able to help you sell your house in France, do get in touch on +44 (0)1865 582382
