The first step in selling your home is to appoint an estate agent, who'll value your home and show it to potential buyers.

We've got knowledge in local area. We'll help with every stage of your sale, from valuation to marketing and conveyancing.

There are two ways you can appoint an estate agent.

Sole agency is where you give the job of selling your property to a single estate agent for a fixed period of time. The commission rate for a sole agency sale will be lower than that for a multiple agency sale, because that agent has a greater chance of being the one to find you a buyer.  Accept an offer via another agent and you might have to pay more than one fee.

Multiple agency is where you instruct several estate agents at the same time, who will all try to sell your property. The commission rate for a multiple agency sale will be higher than for sole agency.

Most of our sales are on a sole agency basis.  We are happy to work on the basis of multiple agency and still charge your very competitive rate of commission.

When you first meet your estate agent, they'll give you an estimated value for your home, and a commission rate for both sole agency and multiple agency.

We get so used to the places we live in that it's sometimes hard to see them through others' eyes. But if you want a successful, quick sale , that's exactly what you have to do and first impressions count for a lot.

A few hours spent making your property look its best or even spending a bit of money to clear up some niggling problems could add to the price you get from a buyer. Here's a few tips to get you started

Making your home more saleable

Get EPC : Energy Performance Certificate – assesses the energy efficiency of the property from A (best) to G (worst), and gives information on how to improve it.

As your estate agent we will start to generate offers from interested buyers . We will present each offer to you and negotiate on your behalf to get the best result.

Here's what information we will discuss with you:

Your buyer will provide us with their solicitor's details, which we will pass on to your solicitor, so they can get on with drawing up the contracts.

The next stage is where the buyer and their mortgage lender carry out any valuations and surveys on the building and check that everything is as it should be with the paperwork. It's quite normal for a few queries to be raised, so this stage can take a little while.

When this stage is complete, you're ready to exchange contracts and set a completion date, when the money gets transferred, and the property legally changes hands, the conveyancing process will be complete.

Completion is normally two weeks later, but can be earlier. It might even be possible to exchange and complete on the same day if you need to. Leaving a gap gives you time to make arrangements for moving out and tie up any loose ends.

After you've formally exchanged contracts, you're legally obliged to sell the property to your chosen buyer and they're obliged to buy it from you.

You should plan to move out before your completion date.  As soon as you have completed the sale the property belongs to your buyer and they can move in immediately.

Completing the sale is usually as simple as getting a phone call from your solicitor telling you that everything has gone smoothly.

This means both parties' mortgages have been paid off and new arrangements put in place, the conveyancers have successfully arranged the legal transfer, and the property officially belongs to your buyer.

We've got a mix of flats and houses for sale across right now, so before you start your search, it helps to put some thought into exactly what you're looking for.

Make a list of what's important to you, including the essentials and the things that are just nice to have, and go from there.

If you're buying to let, think about what your tenants would like . For example, students might want somewhere central with easy access to local nightlife, while for a young family open space and good schools might be more important.

Area
If you're buying, it's likely you'll own the place for a while, so location is doubly important. Do you want to be near work? In a leafy neighbourhood or in central London ? Do you want local shops and restaurants? Are good schools important to you?
Make a list of the postcodes or even streets that appeal to you and take time at a weekend to have a good look round.
Contact us online or by phone to find out about what's going on in your area.

Transport links

Getting around in your chosen area can be just as important as the area itself. Are you happy to travel some distance to work or do you want to walk? Do you need easy access to a tube or mainline station? If you travel out of London , do you need to be near a main road?

Size and type

When the right property comes along, you'll want to be able to act immediately, so get your finances sorted out as soon as possible.

Right Home Estates introduces to Right Financial Services for the purpose of advising on and arranging mortgages and contracts of protection who can help you work out how much you can afford and go through your options for managing your money, including and sorting out protection plans.

Right Financial Services   charges typical broker fee of £499, however, it could be as much as 2% of the loan amount, payable on completion.  The precise amount will depend on your circumstances.

Your Home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

When you find the right place, you'll need a solicitor on hand, and we can help you find one.

We'll also help you plan your budget , which will need to cover:

A contingency fund to cover any unexpected costs is a good idea too.

Once you've sorted out your mortgage and you know the kind of property you're looking for, it's time to get out there and find it. Use our online search at the top on the right to set up your own search by area. Once we know what you're after, we'll keep you updated by email.

If you'd rather talk to one of our local experts, contact us by phone or by dropping into our office. We'll get you registered and start looking for your place straight away.

When we've found you something suitable, we'll set up a viewing appointment as soon as possible. A quick tip: make two visits , one during the day and one at night.

Once you've found a place that ticks all the boxes, you're ready to make an offer. Let the estate agent know as soon as possible so the seller can be contacted with details of your offer.

So, you've made your offer and it's been accepted. This stage is known as sale agreed . This is where your solicitor gets involved to check out all the legal aspects of the sale.

If you don't have a solicitor, we can help you find one we know and trust.

This is also when you (or your mortgage advisor) will go ahead with your formal mortgage application , to check that your lender's willing to lend on that specific property.

Conveyancing
The property needs to be legally transferred from its current owners to you. This process is known as conveyancing . Here are just some of the steps involved.

Assuming there are no problems and your solicitor has your mortgage offer, deposit and a signed contract, they can exchange contracts and set a completion date.

Before your mortage lender makes you an offer, they'll need a mortgage valuation to check that you're not borrowing more money than the property is actually worth.

Buying a home is a massive investment, so you might also want a homebuyer survey or building survey. This provides a far more detailed assessment of the condition of the property. To organise a homebuyers report or full building survey please contact us.

Once your mortgage lender is happy, they'll send your mortgage offer , including details of the terms , to you and to your solicitor.

You're on the home straight now. The formal exchange of contracts agrees the terms of the sale and makes them legally binding on both you and the seller.

Before the formal exchange, you'll need to:
		Finalise and sign your mortgage documents
		Send your deposit to the seller's solicitor
		Sign your contract

Once the exchange has happened, you can look forward to the completion date when the money gets transferred, and the property legally changes hands. This is normally four weeks later, but you can choose to exchange and complete on the same day if you need to.

The terms of the sale are now legally binding , which means that your deposit is non refundable if you change your mind. Equally, the seller is obliged to sell to you at the price you've agreed.

This is the point when you know it was all worth it. On or just before the day of completion, your solicitor will pay what you owe to the seller's solicitor.

Once you've had the call to confirm that the money has been transferred, the transfer document and title deeds will be yours. You can pick up the keys.

Welcome to your new home!