Liz’s Guide to Selling your Home

Selling your home is one of the most important and stressful transactions you will ever have to endure. Having the right people around you is essential to ensure the sale goes through in a proper and timely manner.

 Liz Milsom, long term member of the National Association of Estate Agents, offers a quick guide of the sales process so you know what to expect along the way and in what order things happen.

Liz said: “The selling process can be complex however with the right support from professionals you can trust, you can be rest assured the sale will be handled with all parties being protected.

“My dedicated 24/7 customer care team offers support and a safe pair of hands to guide you through every step of your journey. We will represent your interests to ensure all parties communicate effectively.”
 

Here is a summary of a traditional house sale process and our expert advice:

1.     Valuation - valuing a property is not an exact science, however my team prides itself on providing comparable evidence & realistic selling prices to ensure a good sale is completed.

2.     Appoint an estate agent – do your research and find out what service you are likely to receive from a local estate agent, compared to a national virtual service. Check their opening hours to see if these fit comfortably with your hours of work, flexibility is key.  Having local knowledge and experience can remove confusion and complications in a house sale,

3.     Marketing the property - always have a striking ‘For sale’ board, tell your neighbours & friends that your home is up for sale – word of mouth is a powerful tool. We also share your details nationally and internationally via www.lizmilsomproperties @Rightmove and Zoopla

4.     Viewings - before showing your home to potential buyers we would advise to have a good spring clean, de-clutter & de-personalise your space. Store un-used items in the attic or arrange storage & clear personal items away. Kerb appeal is also essential to grab potential buyer’s attention.

5.     Agree a sale - carefully consider any offers you have, as the person who offers the highest price might not necessarily be the best choice. Establish how they are going to finance the purchase & if there is a chain – my team can offer full advice on the status as we will check all Agents in the chain and their positions, so as a seller you have a clear and concise view of your buyers, before you commit, we always have your best interests at heart.

6.     Appoint a solicitor – do your research before appointing a solicitor, ask family and friends who they have used in the past – look at reviews on-line. We can advise on solicitors, as we have a panel of the conveyancers, who we deal with on a daily basis who are the most efficient and respond quickly and provide regular weekly updates. This is imperative to our Sales Progressor, Donna, who can then chase the other side of solicitors to keep the sale on track.

7.     Mortgage Application – We will keep in touch with your buyers to ensure that their mortgage application is being processed.  Normally a surveyor, on behalf of the Lender will attend the property with 7-14 days of the sale being agreed, a Mortgage offer is then issued to the buyers and a copy will be sent to the buyers’ solicitors.  

8.     Legal process – bear in mind property searches and legal checks can take an average timespan of 12-16 weeks once a sale has been agreed. Note - any issues with the property or land should be flagged up within the Local Searches, Title Deed and Plan.

9.     Exchange contracts – when all the legal searches and checks have been signed off you can prepare to sign the contracts and your solicitors will then exchange contracts, which is a legally binding contract. At this point a moving date, known as a completion date  can be agreed between all parties.

10.   Complete sale – on the agreed date of sale, the seller must remove all their personal belongings from the property and vacate handing over the keys to their solicitor, or estate agent.  Once all monies have been received by the solicitors, the keys are then released to the excited ‘home owners’. 

If you are thinking of selling your home, why not contact our award winning team to arrange a FREE valuation on 01283 219336 or for more information browse our website www.lizmilsomproperties.co.uk