Selling your home can be a stressful, complex and time consuming experience. However, along with appointing seasoned professionals, there is a great deal you can do to make the process as smooth as possible and ensure you get the best price from a suitable buyer. Below are some suggestions from our experience gained from assisting thousands of clients to sell their homes.
Presentation
Firstly, consider that you will want your property to look at its very best when it appears online through multiple media platforms - this will often be how people see your property or home for the first time.
All of our properties come to the market with a professional 3D Virtual Tour but this means nothing can be hidden behind the camera! Our 3D professional will provide you with guidance before they visit your property.
Most buyers:
- Like a clutter free property and have difficulty in seeing the wood for the trees. Tidy up and make space in cupboards so that it is easy to put things away quickly for viewings to take place.
- Like a clean property with smart décor.
- First impressions! Buyers are often making decisions immediately on entering your property. Remember as well that buyers spend more time going through your hall, stairs and landing than any other room in your house so these areas can make a lasting impression.
Walker Smale can give you advice when we visit your home to carry out a free market appraisal but you can also ask a friend or family member to have a critical eye.
Property Information
Upon instruction we will ask you several fact finding questions about your property so it is important that you find any relevant documents to enable you to answer our questions accurately – this is particularly relevant to Leasehold properties. We have a responsibility to provide accurate information so that buyers can make an informed decision if they are considering purchasing your property.
Being able to provide accurate information about your property at the outset will avoid problems with your sale at a later time which could be costly both financially and emotionally.
Getting legally prepared to sell
Once a buyer has been found it is important that your solicitor can present all the documentation to the buyer’s solicitors quickly for review. To ensure your solicitor can do this they need to have good notice of your intention to sell. We strongly recommend that they are instructed when we are asked to market the property. If you do not instruct your solicitor at this early stage it could delay your transaction time by two or three weeks.
What is your property worth?
What a buyer who wants your home is willing to pay! What is special about it, or should be emphasised about it to attract that special buyer who will pay above the average price? Our many years of estate agency experience enables us to take many factors into consideration when we advise you on a suitable asking price for your property.
We don’t purely rely on a scientific approach using historic comparable information, but draw on our extensive knowledge and expertise in reading the climate of the current property market.
Viewings
All viewings are by appointment only through the branch handling your sale so that we are able to qualify potential buyers, retain control and, of course for security. We are happy to accompany buyers if you would prefer us to and there may also be instances where we may feel that is best advice.
However, we also know that in some situations sellers can also have a positive influence on viewers. All viewers must register their full details with us before we will arrange a viewing appointment.
Accepting an offer
This is always done Subject to Contract and any conditions that we agree on your behalf but either party can withdraw before Exchange of contracts at no penalty. This is standard legal practice across the UK, but can attract criticism if either party subsequently decides not to proceed with the agreed transaction, so to cement the sale an early exchange of contracts will ensure peace of mind. It will be important for you to instruct your solicitor to try to achieve this for you and we will assist where we can.
It is our policy unless agreed or instructed otherwise to continue to market properties until we are satisfied that your buyer has instructed their solicitor. Our Notification of Sale document will confirm the basis on which the sale has been agreed and detail conditions and inclusions.
Instructing your solicitors
Only you can do this and this needs to be done at the very latest as soon as you have accepted an offer.
- In order for them to start work on your case, they will need to receive;
- Identification from you to satisfy the current money laundering regulations
- Signed Terms of Business
- A completed fixtures and fittings list
- Planning permission and building regulation sign offs for any extensions or alterations you have made
- Guarantees, warranties and certificates for works completed (double glazing, boiler servicing etc)
- Block manager and freeholder information and contact details if your property is leasehold
- Authority from you to provide the buyers solicitor with answers to their enquiries and payment for them to undertake the standard searches against any proposed purchase you are planning.
Putting the parties in touch
We will send a “Notification of Sale” to you, your solicitor, the buyer and their solicitor informing them that a sale has been agreed. It is important that you check our Notification of Sale document to ensure it meets your expectations.
We will also provide both solicitors with a copy of your sales particulars along with the EPC for your property.