Below are some simple steps to give you the best chance selling your home and reducing the stress and worry people often experience when moving home.
In the real world, it’s rarely possible to live in a show home 24 hours a day, seven days a week! However, small steps to reduce the “noise” around your home in readiness for photographs and viewings will certainly help how prospective buyers perceive the property, both consciously and subconsciously.
We all love our children and pets, but it can be useful to tidy away children’s toys and pet paraphernalia. Piles of coats in hallways can narrow the room along with more obvious things such as washing up and left-over food items (you would be surprised). A full list of photography tips will be provided by our professional photographer before they visit.
Unlike many agents, we do not accept referral fees from third party providers. Ultimately, these fees get passed on to you meaning you pay more, usually for a dreadful service provided by a company on the other side of the country that nobody can get hold of. Using a trusted local firm enables you to attend their offices should any last-minute paperwork be required and most importantly, enable us to progress your sale more easily on your behalf.
- Obtain quotes from a few local firms
- Ensure they are on “on the panel” for your desired mortgage lender.
- Complete ID checks, protocol forms and fixtures and fittings in readiness.
- Obtain a copy of your Title Plan to ensure it is correct, early detection of problems can smooth things down the line.
A list of local firms we would be pleased to recommend is overleaf. Take this opportunity to consider your Will and estate planning along with the benefits of a Lasting Power of Attorneys (LPA) etc.
A mortgage valuation is not a survey. This is carried out on behalf of a mortgage lender to satisfy themselves regarding the property.
We would always recommend you have a survey carried out on any purchase. Your solicitor will also recommend you have a survey carried out but typically this recommendation will not come until towards the end of the transaction. If you do intend to have a survey, you should consider booking it early in the process so that any matters arising can be attended to. See our list of service providers for local surveyors who can also help, this includes Help To Buy valuations on your existing home.
Speak to your mortgage broker or financial advisor early on to ascertain your borrowing power should you require a mortgage and be aware of any early redemption penalties.
Ensure you have access to any cash funds that you require and be aware of any notice periods for accessing those funds and make sure everyone involved is aware of any such requirements.
As things progress, it is advisable speaking to different removal firms to obtain quotes for their services. Your preferred company may not have availability at the time you need to complete so other options are useful to have. When moving greater distances or from larger properties, removal companies may restrict the day of the week they will move you and need 2-3 days to complete the job. Such restrictions should be communicated early in a sale so everyone can prepare.
When selling your home, you will need to know and be asked to provide such things as:
- An installation certificate (from when it was installed if you have it) and recent service certificate for any boiler within the last 12 months (not a legal requirement but expected)
- Certificates for any electrical work carried out at the property in recent times.
- FENSA certificates for any glazing since 2003.
- HETAS and the like for installation of wood burning stoves. Also, consider having chimneys swept and keep receipts as evidence.
Planning Permissions, Building Regulations and works covered under the Competent Persons Scheme. Check the local council website to ensure that all works have been completed and signed off. You may be surprised but around 40% of properties we see have forgotten to get the final sign off from the local authority when having extensions and loft and garage conversions. IMPORTANT - Speak to your solicitor before contacting the council for advice.
Finally...
Be realistic with your timeframes. Too often people put themselves under incredible pressure trying to achieve moving dates that are simply not possible. This unrealistic hope often comes from a lack of understanding of the processes involved. Ask questions of your conveyancer and agent for anything you are unsure of.
Work obligations, medical appointments, holidays and family commitments can all impact on moving dates. The sooner everyone involved is aware of any such commitments, the easier it becomes to try and accommodate things. Don’t hide these things in fear that it may cause the other side to withdraw or in the hope it won’t arise. The clearer you are from the beginning the easier it is to manage.
Be flexible, there are so many moving parts in a house sale, things can go wrong and surprises pop up out of anyone’s control or ability to predict. So, by all means aim for the best-case scenario (which can often be achieved) but try to have a plan B just in case.
As with anything in life, preparation and communication are key!