Preparing for Sale

Once you have made the decision that selling your property is the right move, it is important to weigh up your finances. Figures won’t be exact at this stage as you can’t guarantee how much the property will sell for, but getting a market valuation is a good first step.

Think about planning your future after the property has sold. It may be worth considering going into rented accommodation once the sale has completed as marketing a property with no forward chain can look much more attractive to potential buyers. If you will be purchasing another property, consider how much you are wanting to spend, this can help you work out how much you can afford to take on the property you are selling.

When you instruct an estate agent it is likely they will ask you a lot of material information on the property. It is important that you provide as much accurate information as possible to avoid issues further down the line. Make sure you are clear on any easements, restrictions and rights to the property as this will need to be included on any advertising material.

Before you instruct an estate agent it can be helpful to make some small changes which can increase the marketability of your property. If the property is lived in, it can be helpful to remove any personal items such as pictures, ornaments and any clutter. This assists potential viewers in being able to imagine themselves in the property, rather than only seeing someone else’s belongings. This may extend to painting over any loud colours or patterns in a neutral colour.

Once you have chosen an estate agent to market your property, you can instruct them to start creating marketing materials, such as photos and floorplans. It is important that your property looks its best in the photos, so ensure there is little clutter and the property is tidy and clean. Opening curtains and turning on lights to brighten the rooms, hide any bins/shoes/coats in cupboards. Your estate agent will also recommend getting a floorplan as this is especially helpful in allowing potential buyers to understand the layout and size of the property before viewing.

Once you have viewings booked in, remember the previous advice for photos – remove or hide as many personal belongings and clutter as possible – try not to pile it all up in cupboards as the viewers may wish to see inside cupboards. Ensure the property is clean and tidy, and open all blinds/curtains and lights on. Popular advice is also to have fresh flowers and a candle lit to bring warmth and colour to the space. If the property is empty it is worth considering whether the heating should be turned on before the viewing as a cold property will not feel inviting to buyers.

Once your property is live on the market and viewings have started, make sure you keep in contact with your estate agent and consider any price reductions where necessary – if you haven’t had any viewings, or lots of viewings and no offers in a few months, it may be time to start reconsidering the price.

It is also a good idea once the property is being marketed to start thinking about who you may like to use for conveyancing once the property is under offer and preparing any documents which may need to be provided during the conveyancing process.

Once an acceptable offer has been received and accepted, the conveyancing process gets under way. Both yours and the buyer's solicitors will be informed that the sale is going ahead. You will likely need to provide additional documents and information on the property to your solicitors. Most buyers will also want to undertake a survey on the property to ensure there are no underlying issues. Make sure to keep in regular contact with your estate agent and solicitor and try and get any documents or queries back to them as soon as possible to avoid delays.