Selling your home can be quite a daunting prospect, especially if you’ve not sold for some time and you’re not too sure where to start. Below I’ve detailed the most important parts of the process of selling a house that will make things a little clearer.
Preparing Your Home for Selling
One of the first things on the agenda during the process of selling a house is preparing your home. So, before you even think about getting yourself an estate agent and starting viewings, you’ll need to ensure your house is at its best. From adding a few aesthetic touches, and by this we don’t mean undertaking a full refurb (you’ll find more information about this in our Home Selling Tips), to de-cluttering and cleaning, your house should be in its best condition for valuations.
Valuations
You’ve probably already got an idea of how much you’d like to sell your house for, but we would recommend taking a look at similar properties in the area before you do anything else. While a good, professional estate agent should be on point with their valuation, it’s always better to make an informed decision yourself.
Ideally, you’ll want to invite at least 3 different estate agents to value your home to give you an idea of what it’s worth in the current market.
Choosing the Best Estate Agent
Choosing the best agent is the most important part of the process of selling a house as quickly as possible and for the best price. Before committing to an agent, make sure you do your research first. As well as asking around for recommendations, put them to the test yourself.
Whether you contact an agent via email, telephone or in person, with just a few questions, you’ll get an indication of how knowledgeable and passionate they are. Find a property similar to your own, in price and style, and contact the agent for more information. During your conversation you might want to consider the following:
Once you’ve spoken with several potential agents, carefully compare your experiences and the outcomes before deciding on your shortlist.
Arrange a meeting at your home
Once you’ve whittled down two or three agents, invite them to your home. Although it’s important to ask the right kind of questions, it’s equally as important to trust your instinct. You might want to ask them things such as:
When considering estate agent fees, don’t just opt for the one with the lowest fees or highest property valuation as this may cost you in the long term. If they struggle to sell your home the chances are they’ll start requesting that you reduce the price.
A reputable and successful agent will only offer a ‘no sale, no fee’ with no tie-in period, so if you do need to change your agent further down the line, there won’t be any outstanding costs and you can retract your instruction immediately.
Instructing a Conveyancing Solicitor
A conveyancing solicitor will take care of all the legalities of selling your house, from the legal administration to the transfer of ownership. It’s vital that you choose a fully qualified and regulated representative who is transparent with their fees and provides a high-quality service. More often than not, your appointed estate agent will recommend a solicitor that they work alongside.
Paperwork
Throughout the process of selling a house, your conveyancer will ask you to complete various pieces of paperwork and gather information which you may have been provided with when you first bought your home. Some of the paperwork you might be asked for could include:
Viewings
Once you’ve instructed your estate agent and prepared your home, you’re now ready to begin viewings on the property. Make sure that all areas of the house are accessible, such as the loft, garage and outdoor spaces. If you’re unable to carry out the viewings yourself, provide your estate agent with a key so that potential buyers are able to view your house at a convenient time.
After every viewing, make sure your agent provides you with as much feedback as possible as this will help you identify any areas that you might be able to improve or rectify.
PS If you've watched my Vlogs or read the Blogs over on the Ask Adam pages, you'll know how strongly I feel about the agent accompanying all your viewings.
Choosing a buyer
If you’re in a fortunate position where more than one offer has been made on your house, think carefully about selecting the right buyer. It’s not always as simple as choosing the highest offer; perhaps one person has offered cash and they’re not in a lengthy property chain, for example. You might also find that a buyer wants to put conditions in place such as making significant changes to the property or requesting a specific completion date.
Struggling to Sell Your Home
If your house has been on the market for a long period of time and you’re struggling to sell your home, visit our page Why Isn’t My House Selling for more guidance.
We would love to hear from you and advise on how we can help you sell for the highest price in the optimum timescale
