Guide to Selling
The sale of a property can appear complex, especially if it’s your first time or if you haven’t moved for a while. Here at butters john bee, we always make selling your home as simple as we can, with jargon-free help and support. Here’s our straightforward guide on selling.
Arrange a valuation
A valuation of your home is the best place to begin. We have an expert team of valuers who understand prices in your area, and they’ll visit at a convenient time for you, including evenings or weekends. They’ll be able to assess your property and make a realistic asking price, taking into account its location, condition, desirability and other factors.
Choose the right agent
Your home is probably your most valuable asset, and this is one of the most important transaction you’re likely to make, so choose wisely. Make sure you ask agents the following questions:
- Do you have a solid history in the local market?
- Are you affiliated to a professional body?
- Do you offer a full marketing package?
- Do you have a list of qualified buyers?
- Do you employ an experienced team of professionals?
- Do you have a prominent high street office location?
These are the kind of questions that we’re often asked, and good agents should answer YES to everyone.
Choosing a solicitor
You’ll need an efficient and experienced solicitor to help with the legal side of selling your property. It’s often best to go with a solid local recommendation to find a solicitor who’s used to working with local agents. At butters john bee, we have longstanding relationships with many local solicitors who can work closely with our Sales Negotiators. We find this avoids delays and helps with making smoother sales. We can even arrange for solicitors to provide you with quotes for conveyancing.
Presenting your property
First impressions really do count, so you should present your property at its best. A tidy garden, a lick of paint, and a clean, de-cluttered home will encourage interest and lead to more viewings of your property. Put yourself in the shoes of a buyer and think about what will make them fall in love with your home.
Find out how much your property is worth using our free online property valuation tool. It takes less than a minute.
Showing buyers around
If you’re conducting viewings yourself, make potential buyers feel welcome and relaxed. Let them explore at their leisure, and be ready to answer any questions. Try not to overwhelm them, but do point out the things that you love about the house and area – it’s always good to leave the best feature until the end, to give them a good lasting impression. You can always ask us to conduct the viewings for you if you prefer. Either way, we will always follow up with a call to the potential buyer to obtain their thoughts and feedback.
Negotiating offers
When an offer is received, we’ll check that the buyers are in a position to proceed and report the offer to you, verbally and in writing. Following the offer, we will advise you on the best way to move forward.
Accepting the offer
Once you've accepted the offer, we’ll set out the details in a ‘Memorandum of Sale’ that goes to you, your buyer and both solicitors. Our Sales Negotiator will closely follow the process with you, coordinating your sale with your next purchase and monitoring any associated chain.
Exchanging contracts
Once the solicitors are happy with the terms of the contract and your buyer’s finances are ready, you can sign and exchange contracts. The buyers will put down a deposit in most cases, and you’ll be able to set a completion date, normally between 8 and 12 weeks from accepting the offer.
Completion
On completion day, the final payment will be transferred to your solicitor, who will call you to confirm the buyer has completed. We’ll release the keys to the new owners once we hear from your solicitor.