Feeling stressed about selling

[Lilypad34]

We’ve decided to sell our home, I love our house I wish I could pick it up and put it somewhere else, but the older I get (peri) the more peace I need and so we’ve planned for a valuation soon and to put it on the market early Jan. I’ve put so much pressure on myself to make it this perfect home for others to see in the photos and I’m stressed that the garden photos will be winter so you won’t see the lovely trees that hide the neighbours in spring through to Oct. I’m driving myself nuts trying to make it ‘perfect’

Any advice from others who have sold during winter?

Much as I hate the presenters but the term’location, location,location’ is what matters…and price!

This is true @Gall10 we live in more of a commuter area but close to countryside and coast, schools etc so it’s great for families and it’s a well sought after area. I think given the current climate and my need to leave is creating a bit of a pressured situation for me.

I'd concentrate on finding the right estate agent (and deal) as the should be able to point out the relevant 'pertinent' location details to buyers. I wonder if you could ask the EA whether they could put in some summer pictures of your garden if you've taken any. But maybe ask an agent what they think are the main selling points of your property.
I've just taken ours off the market as things are currently very slow and I want to just enjoy Christmas, not be worrying about house stresses. I chatted with our EA about when to remarket it next year and they were very positive about the 'Boxing Day listing' event - I knew it had been a thing but didn't realise it still was. I said that wasn't for me, but I'll certainly have a look online for property to see what's what!
My thoughts were similar to yours about what can you do to make something perfect for a buyer, but I think there's no such thing, everyone will like and want something different and even things we never thought of.
Clean, tidy, 'modern looking' and warm is probably my aim when we remarket in Spring, or early January according to our agent. :)

We accepted an offer on our last (extremely rural) house in May 2024, having originally been persuaded to market it in November 2023.

When the EA's professional photographer came to take the photos in mid October, parts of our 0.5 acre garden were still looking OK, but other bits not so much. As it was one of the property's best assets, we took were concerned that it wasn't going to be shown to its best advantage.

So we told our EA we'd be supplying additional photos of the garden in spring/summer which they were happy to accommodate.

As an aside, we didn't get a single viewing between third week in Nov when we went on the market to third week in Jan, despite - or perhaps because of - it being a very unique/characterful house. In hindsight we'd have waited, as previously we've put properties on at the end of Feb/early March and sold within a week.

Good luck with your sale!

It's hard, but try not to think of it from a personal personal so much. Although I know a home is so, so personal!

The buyers may want to change things anyway, and you could always ask the estate agent to mention a few things to the viewers that you think are highlights?

I would wait until spring to put it on the market.

We did think about waiting until spring but the EAs we’ve spoken to all said they found Jan to March sold well. There’s a house we know is coming on the market March 1st so we wanted to be in a good position. I guess it’s up to the individuals to use their vision to ‘see’ just feels like a lot of pressure in the current climate.

The EAs need to fill their windows year-round so they are spinning you a line. It is not a great time to go to market. Hang off until the first week in February if you can. Take photos of your house yourself this weekend. Seeing how the rooms look now will
give you an idea of what needs to change / look more streamlined ahead of the videographer etc
Declutter, declutter declutter.
You will be proud of yourself for starting early and your efforts will
pay off.

Well hopefully people aren’t so stupid as to not realise the garden looks different at different times of the year!
Relax otherwise you will twist yourself into knots. Selling is stressful at the best of times. Yes your house should look good but you have to live there too

Like @sbplanet we are relaunching in early 2027, after withdrawing from the market over the Christmas period. We have stopped microanalysing the markets, the economy, our house location, what the garden needs to look like. Someone will come along and it will meet their needs, that's for them to decide.

key thing is having the updated listing, refreshed photos where necessary, making the house as appealing as we can, decluttered and clean, and leaving the rest to fate.

OP, you can give the EA some lovely pictures of the garden and ask them to include them labelled 'Owner's photos Summer 2026' or whatever.