19 May Selling your home – step by step guide

We are in the business of selling homes, the process is like second nature to us and sometimes we forget that our clients may not have bought or sold a property in a couple of decades. So, we’d like to take this opportunity to refresh your memory to the processes and timelines you can expect when selling your property.

Remember, if you are looking to sell your property or move to the area, take some time to browse our properties for sale in Virginia Water and the surrounding areas. If you have any questions, you can also visit our award-winning website or call us on 01344 843000 and email us.

Get Valued

The first thing you will need to do is get an accurate valuation of your property to ascertain what your property is worth; this will give you an idea of your budget for your next move. The best way to do this is to get in touch with a few local estate agents to view your home, do some research, and present you with a recommended price at which to market your property.

It is up to you how much you list your property for, the agent is there to advise you and sell their marketing strategies to you, but the final decisions are down to you.

Check your finance

If you have a mortgage on your home, contact your lender to let them know you are thinking of selling, they will be able to advise you on how that could affect your mortgage and any penalising fees if you’re ending your deal early. If you have a portable mortgage, you will probably be able to move it to the new property with minimal fuss/fee/.

Choose your Agent

When you invite agents to value your home, they will tell you about their fees, the price they think they could achieve for your home, and their marketing strategies. These should all be factors that influence your decision; however, one of the most important factors is the agent themselves. You will be working closely with this agent to sell your most prized asset and so, you should have a good rapport and feel as though you can trust them to work with your best interests at heart.

Photo Ready

This can be quite a therapeutic process. Making your home look immaculate will involve a certain amount of decluttering as well as making sure the place looks spik and span. You might want to give your home a new lick of paint, tidy away your ornaments and make sure work surfaces are clear. Most buyers make up their minds on a property within the first 30 seconds of seeing the property, so ensuring that your kerb appeal is tip top will go a long way to impressing potential buyers.

Set the asking price

As mentioned before, your chosen agent will advise you on what kind of price you could achieve for your property but do your own research. Use the online portals to see what kind of prices other similar houses have achieved and remember, you set the price in order to indicate what you will accept, and to generate interest in your property, the true price is negotiated further down the line.

Paperwork

If you have lived in your home for a long period of time, you probably have reams of paperwork for forgotten aspects of your property. Gathering it all together will save a lot of time as you progress with your sale and ensure a smoother process on the whole. You will need to provide your estate agent with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for the marketing of your property.

Later down the line, you’ll need to supply other paperwork like planning permission and building regulations for any construction work you’ve had done. You will also need to supply boiler service documentation and window certificates among others – so get on top of this early in the process.

Instruct a Solicitor

If you are having trouble finding a solicitor to take care of the conveyancing, your agent will usually be able to recommend one for you or at least provide an introduction. This can be a good thing as the agent and the legal firm will have existing relationships and a tried and tested method of getting the transactions across the line in a timely manner.

Securing an offer

Once you have accepted an offer, this isn’t the end; make sure you are flexible with timings and stay in contact with your agent and solicitor to keep your transaction on track. Now is the time for you to find your next property. Due to the current supply and demand imbalance, many vendors are not allowing viewings for people who don’t have offers on their properties.

Be ready to supply any paperwork you are requested to by your solicitor and respond to enquiries in a timely manner – this will help the process run smoothly.

Contract Exchange

Once all documents are verified and all parties are agreed, contracts can be exchanged. It is only at this point that the sale is legally bound. You will be sent a statement of costs and if you are making an onward purchase you might need to send a payment. The final stage of this step is to transfer ownership of the property on completion.

Preparing to move

Between exchange and completion, there is usually a little lull. This is your opportunity to pack and complete all the life admin associated with your home; things like home insurance and utility bills will need to be dealt with before you leave.

Completion

Completion is the day you receive the keys to your new home and when you will need to vacate your old home. Completion refers to the transfer of money for the sale of your home by your solicitor. Once this is done, the sale is complete.

Get in Touch

If you are thinking of moving to the area or buying a property to rent, make sure you take a look at our amazing catalog of properties for sale in Virginia Water and the surrounding areas.

If you’d like to speak to someone about properties to let in Virginia Water, a member of our expert team would be happy to help. You can call us on 01344 843000 or email us. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.