10 Step Guide to Selling your Home

[lead] Selling your home is one of the most important (and maybe confusing) transactions you’ll ever make. However, our guide is here to make it a little easier to get your head around.[/lead]

Step 1 – Accurate valuation

As a seller, your aim should be to agree on a sale on your property at the best possible price in the shortest possible time. We carry out valuations every day, giving us intimate and unparalleled knowledge of property values in your area. Having dealt with the local Chester market and surrounding area’s for over 20 years combined, we know we are best placed to help you in providing this key element to the process. The oldest estate agency trick in the book is to overvalue your property to get you on board. A property gets a great deal of interest in the first two weeks so if your agent gets the price wrong, you could have to reduce it far lower to make up lost ground and could cost you thousands.

Step 2 – Selecting an estate agent

When choosing an estate agent there are a few vital things you will need to consider in your decision-making process. How much knowledge will every member of staff have about your property? What are their opening hours? When can they conduct viewings? How well produced is their marketing material? Do they know all there is to know about your local area? How up to date and user-friendly is their website? At Carman Friend, we deem all of the above critical, with one significant key difference to how we act as an agent! Our 1 – 1 contact from start of marketing to completion means you have a personal relationship with the same person throughout the whole process and this ensures that you have no surprises along the way. Your personal agent will be available whenever suits you! We do more than the traditional 9-5 agent!

Step 3 – Instructing a solicitor

The successful sale of your property can be reliant on the instruction of an efficient and experienced solicitor. It is a good idea to do some research and make a decision before you put your property on the market as this will help to avoid delays. Using a local solicitor to the area is something that we would always recommend. We can offer recommendations if required and would advise this is a process that should be started at the point you market your property. This speeds things up prior to an offer being placed and therefore not causing any unnecessary delay.

Step 4 – Presenting your property

First impressions count, making the presentation of your property is critical to a successful sale.
 Consider addressing any DIY jobs you have been meaning to get done, add a fresh coat of paint where necessary and try to declutter to make rooms appear larger. 
We are more than happy to call out to your property and give advice in this area.

Step 5 – Marketing your property

To find your perfect buyer you need to give your property maximum exposure across a wide range of media formats.  Carman Friend uses the most up to date marketing tools available. We have an external bespoke designer who creates our eye catching and individual brochures. It doesn’t stop here, Carman Friend has a firm belief with the changing ways of the world, social media and excellent internet presence is a must. The many different ways of marketing your property are only as important as the information we put on there – quality photography, in depth descriptions and floor plans all play a very important role of making your property stand out from the crowd. Carman Friend also believe in bringing your property to the buyers, we don’t rely solely on marketing material or them calling us, sometimes our approach to calling potential buyers first will secure that all important viewing which could quickly become a sale.

Step 6 – Accompanied viewings

Our flexible working hours accommodate today’s working world, allowing Carman Friend to maximize viewing opportunities for your property. We ensure that we generate the enquiries that in most cases lead to the 1st viewing. You can’t beat getting to know your buyers and being able to introduce them to your property. It is just as important to know them as it is to know you! The Carman Friend Way of 1 – 1 contact allows for truly constructive feedback from the person that met the viewer.

Step 7 – Receiving an offer

As soon as an offer is received we will notify you both verbally and in writing. Any special conditions of the offer will also be stated in writing and we will check the buyer’s position and ability to proceed. We ensure you have all the facts in front of you before you decide whether to accept the offer.

Step 8 – Offer agreed

Once you accept an offer we will do the following: We will ask you to confirm your solicitor’s details (if we haven’t already got them). Your solicitor will send out a draft contract to the buyer’s solicitor who will then carry out preliminary enquiries. We will be there throughout the whole process, keeping you informed every step of the way. There are no legal obligations until contracts are signed.

Step 9  – Exchange of contracts

Exchange of contracts occurs when the following have been confirmed and agreed:

● Replies to preliminary enquiries following receipt of draft contract.
● Completed search results.
● Evidence of a title.
● Answers to specific issues highlighted in the Lease, if applicable.
● Confirmation of fixtures and fittings to be included in the sale.
● Receipt of the buyer’s mortgage offer

Once the contract has been signed by both parties the deposit (usually 10% of the purchase price) will be telegraphically transferred or paid in the form of a banker’s draft by the buyer’s solicitor to your solicitor. The completion date is then set by mutual agreement.

Step 10 – Completion

Completion is when the residual monies are transferred from the buyer’s solicitor to your solicitor’s account. 
Your solicitor will call you when the money has cleared in your account and will inform us to release the keys.

Your property is now SOLD!