A Quick Guide to Selling Your House (Part 1)
The prospect of selling your home can be daunting – all the more so if you are looking for another property to buy at the same time. The decisions you make along the way could save you – or cost you – many thousands of pounds. Here are some questions to consider as well as some simple advice if you think you might like to move.
1.Should you sell at all?
2. Figure out your finances
3. Decide if you should also look for somewhere to buy or rent It is tempting to want to sell and buy on at the same time because renting for a while can add to the overall expense, but it also does reduce the critical time pressures of buying a new home and:
You will break out of the housing chain which means you will be a more attractive buyer. 4. Prepareyour home If you “stage” your home well, you are not only more likely to sell your home faster, but you might make it more valuable too Tidy up, and get rid of excess clutter; give it a fresh lick of light coloured paint; fix those little snagging things; keep it clean Light a fire; bake bread; put up a mirror; get rid of bad odours 5.Hire a solicitor or conveyancer You need to choose a solicitor or conveyancer to handle the legal work to transfer ownership of the property to you. Compare quotes to findthe cheapest, nearest and best rated conveyancers. You should decide which firmyou want to use before you agree the sale of your house – but you can obviously only instruct them after you have agreed an offer 6. Accept an offer You’ve receivedan offer – hooray! The estate agent is legally required to pass all offers on to you, however ridiculous If you are not happy with it, you can either reject it outright, wait to see if a better offer comes along or tell the estate agent to try to negotiate it upwards Once you are happy with an offer, you need to formally accept it. Remember that accepting an offer is not legally binding, and you canlegally change your mind or accept a higher offer later (gazumping) – but remember, this can be pretty distressing to the buyer At this stage the solicitors take over and this can be a mysterious mindfield of jargon where you will appreciate an experienced pair of hands helping you through the process. There are numerous things you can do to help this run as smoothly as possible so check into our blog next week for part 2 where we unravel the conveyancing process.
Article taken in part fromwww.hoa.org.uk
Important Information All property sales and the financial advice that surrounds them are as unique as the people engaging in the transaction. It is important to not make a decision without seeking professional advice. If you want to sell your home and are considering redecorating before marketing, speak to one of our Property Professionals to get the best advice for presenting your home for sale before making any investment.