Having worked in the residential property sector for almost 25 years, selling a property myself was quite an experience. While I’ve bought several properties over the years, this was my first time selling since entering the industry. The market has evolved dramatically, with its ups and downs, and for once, I found myself on the other side of the process—experiencing exactly what my clients go through.
For decades, I’ve taken great pride in advising and guiding sellers. It’s always rewarding when they follow my advice and achieve a successful sale. But when the time came for me to take my own advice, I quickly realized—it’s easier said than done!
Practicing What I Preach
My standard recommendations to sellers are the ones we’ve all heard before: declutter, tidy up, clear surfaces, and create as much floor space as possible. The flat I was selling was slightly dated but had fantastic potential in terms of size, layout, outlook, and location. If I were advising a client, I would have suggested a deep clean, removing old furniture, and hiring a property styling company to present the home at its best.
But when it was my turn, I hesitated. Investing £2,000–£3,000 with no guaranteed return felt daunting. Would it really be worth it?
Taking the Leap
Despite my doubts, I followed through. I hired @propertyrevivalsolutions for minor DIY touch-ups to minimize negative comments in the home report. A deep clean by @polishedproperties ensured every cupboard, window, and appliance sparkled. Finally, @emmalennox property styling transformed the space, making it look like a completely different flat. My friends and family were amazed by the results.
The impact was immediate. As soon as the listing went live, viewing requests poured in. The market was slow at the time, so I was pleasantly surprised by the level of interest. Within three days, we had multiple offers and ultimately accepted one that was over 10% above the home report value. We were over the moon!
A Valuable Lesson
In Edinburgh’s market, where the average uplift over the home report was less than 2%, our result was outstanding. I have no doubt that the extra effort and investment made all the difference. The suppliers I regularly recommend to clients had once again proven their value—but this time, I experienced it firsthand.
Selling a property in a less-than-buoyant market reinforced an important lesson: sometimes, you have to speculate to accumulate. Although parting with thousands of pounds upfront was difficult, the return on investment more than justified the cost.
Ultimately, I’m glad I took my own advice—because sometimes you just have to practice what you preach.