Thinking of selling

Property expert David Leake of Housesetc tells us what to think about once you’ve decided to put your property up for sale.

Choose the right estate agent
Picking the right estate agent is essential; you’ll want someone local, who has had experience selling properties like yours and is NAEA Propertymark Protected.

Be accurate about your property’s value
If your property has been overvalued, then you may find that you will start receiving offers that you don’t wish to accept or even begin to haggle with a potential buyer.

Be transparent about your property
Covenants on the deed, land boundaries on the property, potential issues with the property or surrounding area and any other information, good or bad, that you believe potential buyers should be aware of; you need to make these clear when your property goes on sale.

Get your paperwork ready
Look for all your paperwork and if something is missing take steps to arrange an inspection or replacement paperwork. Sitting tight and hoping nobody asks about it is never a good tactic.

Ask for advice
Since you don’t sell your house regularly, it makes sense if things are hard to remember and it isn’t obvious what is meant by some of the language in the forms.