When to invite the estate agents round?

[threeleftfeet]

Just got our flat back from our tenant. We've got some work to do to it before we can out it on the market (plastering and redecorating one room and doing front and back gardens).

I'm keen to get on with everything, but should we invite the estate agents round now, to get things moving, or wait until it looks lovely?

shameless bump

Is it to be sold? There is no harm in getting them round now for valuations and explain the work you will be doing, but I would wait untill it looks pretty to have the photos taken and put on the market.

If it is to rent again, then it might be worth getting it listed asap, and list without many pictures.

Sorry, I should have said! It's to be sold.

I really want to get on with it. We're in a rented flat right now, I can't wait for us to be in our own house. But I'm watching the prices go up here (yes, really!) while they're not in the area the flat I own is in.

I'm really impatient to get on with it, but worried that if I get the estate agents round now they won't give it its full value. Am I overthinking it?!

You want the house to be in the best shape possible - or at least - you want your photos to be as visually appealing as possible. If that means waiting, then I would wait a little.

You might also want to consider your options when listing - might be a good time to try some free listing tools and see if you can avoid paying an agent quite so much:

www.tepilo.com
www.gumtree.com

If you've not had many leads, then put it up with an agent once the house is in better shape.

get them in now, explain the work and pick an estate agent

they can then get on with arranging energy consumption info etc and be ready to come back and take photos as soon as you are ready

you can then discuss value again once work has been complete and tweak it before it goes to market

I'm not sure what it's like near you but it took 3 weeks for me to get 3 agents round for the initial valuations so I would just get on with it if I were you

Good advice, thanks :)