Plan your move - a seller's guide

1 How much can you get?
You need to know precisely what your property is worth on the open market. You can obtain some information about prices in your area by entering your postal code into our local area information section or by searching for similar properties in our extensive database.
Also don’t forget local estate agents who can be good sources of intelligence.

Get three agents round to value your place – you are under no obligation to give them the business but they will be keen to sign you up. Don’t necessarily go with the highest estimate – they may just be going over the top to get your custom. If you ask something utterly unrealistic it will never shift. Remember that £129,000 is much more appealing to a buyer than £130,000.

2 Timing
Chose your moment
Obviously some home sales are forced by circumstances that need immediate action for example a change of job or a divorce. But if you can choose when you go on the market then start the selling process when the largest number of people are looking. Spring-summer is the favourite time to move, but there is usually a spurt after Christmas. If you have a hunch that interest rates are going through the roof or you have inside knowledge that Gordon Brown is about to raise stamp duty yet again then try to get in before these events occur.

3 Appoint a solicitor
Get them in place early
You can choose between hiring a solicitor, a licensed conveyancer or conducting the legal work yourself. (A general reduction in conveyancing costs has meant the DIY option - which can be very tricky - is less popular these days.) Charges vary considerably but low, fixed prices i.e. "£300 plus all disbursements" can mean low levels of personal attention. If you're the sort of nervy, high maintenance seller who requires plenty of TLC, don't go to a budget-priced conveyancer who will quickly lose patience with you. Conversely, don't gas on for longer than necessary as solicitors' meters clock up cash significantly faster than those of a black cab.
Free quotes from five conveyancing firms.

4 Putting your home on the market
To get the best price for your home as quick as possible make sure you use an asserta home registered agent. This way, your property details will be available to thousands of homebuyers 24 hours, seven days a week.

5. Preparing for showing
Tidy up - within reason
It is expensive and unnecessary to redecorate the whole place before putting it on the market. (The majority of buyers will just change the interior to their taste anyway.) But basic stuff such as grimy work surfaces, red wine lakes on the carpet, food stains on the ceiling, dripping taps and leaking guttering should be attended to.
More information on how to make your home more attractive to buyers.

6. Showing your home
Keep it relaxed but professional
Try to keep to appointment times. Don't forget that you're trying to offload something worth potentially hundreds of thousands of pounds. As far as appearance is concerned: - keep clutter down to the minimum especially if your place is small; tidy up the garden and mow the lawn; and try to keep kids and animals locked up/out of the house during viewings. Show off your place's good points but don't be too pushy. Let potential buyers wander around at will, answer questions as truthfully as possible and slip in the odd positive.

7 Negotiate Offer
Firm but fair
Find out as much as you can about the person who is making the offer. Do they still have to sell or are they cash buyers? Is he living in a one bedroom flat with his wife who is about to drop triplets? This is all important to establish the relative strengths of your negotiating position. Don't go into any negotiation without already knowing what your bottom line is but don't be rigidly unreasonable in establishing it. It's a cliché that the best deals are those where both parties walk away happy but it's true.
Always make absolutely sure which fixtures and fittings are included in the price and which are negotiable extras. This will avoid ugly disputes later. More information on fixtures and fittings.

8 Exchanging Contracts
Crunch time
Once your solicitor is happy that all the legal side is in order - contracts, boundaries, local authority searches etc - the signed contracts are exchanged between the vendor and purchaser and a deposit is paid. This is the stage at which you need to feel all your potential questions have been answered. Once you've exchanged you are committed to buy and complete - there is no turning back. Your mortgage lender will also need warning that you are bringing your loan to an end.

9 Removal
A bigger pain that you can imagine
Getting on for a month before completion you need to organize the process of getting out. Inform the utilities providers that you're going so can close or transfer accounts and arrange for final meter readings etc If you use a removal firm get several estimates and don't be dishonest about the size of the job. If you do some of the packing yourself you can keep the cost down. Also if you're moving from a big city to a smaller town try the small town removers as they may be cheaper.
The sole reason for doing the removal yourself is cost. A DIY exercise - as anyone who has ever attempted it will tell you - can be anything but fun. The last thing you want to be lumbered with during the first month in your new home is a slipped disc after you and your mate came unstuck trying to get the baby grand piano down the stairs. If you go it alone make sure you're covered for breakages/loss by your insurers.

10 Completion
Time to collect your money
No money - no keys. A day to keep in very close touch with your solicitor. When the payments are made - normally by electronic bank transfer - the keys can be handed over to the other side. You'll probably have to cough up for your solicitor on this day as well.
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