1. Obtain an accurate valuation
The first step would be to get an accurate valuation of your property is the first stage in the process of selling your home.
There are a couple of options when it comes to getting your house valued.
- You can receive an estimate by using online valuation tools. We have one on our site or you can visit Homesearch. These tools are great to get the ball rolling.
- You can ask an estate agent to do an assessment for you, most of these will be free, we would be happy to give you a valuation and to give you advice on a sale strategy. To book one in with us click here.
2. Select an estate agency
Once you have got your valuations, the next step is to select an estate agent who will be responsible for marketing your property. Our bit of advice is to instruct an estate agent who spent time walking you through everything, and explaining the process.
It is easy to go with the agent who values your house the highest, but advertising your property at the right price will give you the best chance of a successful launch. An agent having the local knowledge is key along with the cost of selling your property.
3. Prepare your home
To get the best possible price for your house you should prepare your house for sale. These are the bits we would recommend you doing, first make any necessary repairs, then clean it thoroughly, and then remove any unnecessary items from the space.
Think about staging your home so that its best qualities are highlighted.
If you would like, we can advise you when we come to do a valuation on what you should do to prepare your home for sale.
4. Advertise your home
We will take care of marketing your home, but it can be handy for you to also advertise it on your own social media channels, or by spreading the word informally.
In order to attract the interest of prospective purchasers in your property, you will need to include images of a high-quality, as well as an accurate description of the space. All of this will be done by your estate agent.
5. Offers
When your estate agents present you with an offer, you have the option to either take it up or to make a counteroffer. What we will do is help you understand these and advise you on what you should do.
As soon as the price has been settled upon by both parties, you will have to engage in an information exchange with the buyer's solicitor.
6. Instruct your conveyancer or solicitor
To get the legal process started on the sale of your property, you will need to find and give instructions to a conveyancer or solicitor. Bit more advice, don’t go with the cheapest. It can be worthwhile getting a recommendation from your estate agent, and do your own research including looking at their reviews.
The solicitors will deal with any enquiries received from the buyers solicitors, take care of the contracts, and the transfer of ownership of the property.
Once you have instructed your solicitor, we will ask you for these details and we will send out the sales memorandum which goes out to you, your solicitor, your buyer and your buyers solicitors.
7. Give your information:
Your solicitor will need to collect as much information about your property as possible, including any conflicts, restrictions, or planning licences. You are going to be required to supply any documents that are pertinent, such as the Energy Performance Certificate for the property. (EPC).
We can advise you on what you need to gather at the stage when your property goes on the market so you can forward this to your solicitor once you have instructed them.
8. Exchange contracts
At this stage all of the legal work has been finished, which leads to the next step, which is for you to exchange contracts with the buyer.
At this time, both you and the buyer will be legally bound to sell the property to each other, and the buyer will also be legally bound to purchase the property.
9. Completion
On the completion date that was previously agreed upon, the buyer’s solicitor will send the monies to your solicitor, and you will be required to hand over the keys to the property.
The closing paperwork will be handled by your solicitor, and the sale will be finalised after that. Usually you will give the keys to us on that day so we can pass these to the buyer once we have heard from your solicitor to release the keys.
It is essential to deal with an experienced solicitor or conveyancer while going through the legal process of selling a property, this is because the procedure can be complicated and having their experience is invaluable. They will make sure that all of the legal aspects are satisfied, and that the sale goes through without any problems.
