Despite what many estate agents may tell you, estate agents have very little influence over the property market.

The market is driven by market forces and ultimately, it is those market forces that will determine what price buyers are prepared to pay for your property.

Most people would think that the “best price” would be a price over the current value of the property and in the property market in Edinburgh at the moment, that is probably a realistic ambition. If you are selling a property in Edinburgh that is suitable for first time buyers and perhaps even still investors, then it is likely that you will get a lot of interest from those buyers and be able to set a closing date. All being well, you could look to achieve a sale price over the home report value of your property and sometimes as much as 8-10% above the value.

Because of the high demand at present from first time buyers in Edinburgh, you can probably sell your property at a price over its valuation without having to spend any money on redecorating or making small improvements to your home.

That said, it is always worthwhile taking stock of your property prior to marketing and thinking of ways in which the property could be made to look more attractive to buyers. It could be simple things like de-cluttering, or having a good deep clean. Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and ask yourself, how can I give my property a bit of a ‘wow’ factor? It still pays to make the effort!