When you have taken the decision to sell your house, you need to consider the various processes necessary for a sale to complete. Professional Properties will help you during every stage of the process to secure your sale.

What does an Estate Agent do?

We will visit the property and undertake a FREE PROPERTY VALUATION and decide on an asking price with you. Our representative will discuss with you the asking price and the reasons for settling on a particular price. Much preparation work is done beforehand to be able to offer the reasoning behing any agreed selling price. We will prepare details of the house to send out to potential buyers on our applicant list. These details will include a 2D Floorplan indicating the number and size of the rooms and all the fixtures and fittings which will be left in the house. We will also arrange for the property to be advertised and discuss arranging for a Home Information Pack (HIP) to be produced if necessary.

The vendor would usually show potential buyers around the house, however, if this is not convenient for any reason, Professional Properties would accompany any viewing if necessary.

Accepting an Offer

After a successful viewing you may receive an offer to buy the property. If you accept an offer, there is nothing in law to prevent you from changing your mind and accepting a higher offer from someone else. You should also bear in mind that when an offer is made and accepted the potential buyer can also withdraw from the purchase.

You can sell the house to whoever you want and do not have to sell to the buyer who offers the most money. You may wish to take into account whether:

• the potential purchase is a first time buyer.
• the potential buyer has found a buyer for their own property. If so, is it part of a chain of buying and selling and how long is the chain.
• the buyer is paying cash or is likely to get a mortgage.
• the buyer is working to similar time scales as you.

Professional Properties will obtain this information from each buyer to enable you to make an informed decision.

Choosing a Conveyancer

When you have accepted an offer you need to decide who is going to do the necessary legal work involved in the sale. In England and Wales either a licenced conveyancer or a solicitor can be used as most solicitors offer a conveyancing service. Professional Properties can advise on which option to choose and also obtain a quote on your behalf for the work involved. Every quote will detail:

• whether the figure quoted is a fixed fee or will vary if more work is required.
• whether the figure includes expenses and VAT and will include a breakdown of these costs.
• whether any charges will be made if the sale falls through before contracts are exchanged.

Exchange of Contracts

When contracts are exchanged, and before completion, the buyer may wish to visit the house, for example, to measure up for carpets or to get an estimate for building work. However, you should not allow any work to be done by the buyer before completion.

You should inform the fuel companies and phone company that you are leaving and ask for final readings to be made of the meters on completion day. You should also inform the person at the council responsible for council tax. 

If the buyer is paying a deposit, this will be paid to your solicitor at exchange of contracts. The solicitor will hold this deposit until completion.

Completion

You must arrange to leave the house empty by completion day and to hand over all the keys to Professional Properties. Your solicitor will receive the balance of monies from the buyers solicitor and will pass this, together with the deposit, to you.

Professional Properties can arrange for a removal company to provide you with a quotation at preferential rates if required.