Guide to selling your house for the first time

Thinking of selling your house for the first time? Or has it been a while since you last moved? We understand the process may feel daunting, but as long as you’re prepared, it doesn’t have to be stressful. Take a look at our guide to help you get started.

A guide to selling your house for the first time

Find out how much your house is worth

• Carry out your own research
• Ask the advice of a reputable estate agent

Do some research on how much properties have been selling for in your area by taking a look at local sold prices on Land Registry. Also take a look on Rightmove and OnTheMarket for an idea of how much money similar houses are on the market for.

Invite estate agents to value your house or flat, usually they will carry out a valuation for free. We recommend choosing an established estate agent with a good reputation in your area. Ask friends and family, or even work colleagues who have recently sold to point you in the direction of a reputable agent. It’s also worth checking out reviews online to gauge which agent does a great job.

Before inviting out an agent why not try an INSTANT VALUATION to get an idea of how much your property is worth

INSTANT VALUATION

Budget for your onward purchase

Having established how much your house is worth, you will now be able to budget for your onward purchase. If you need to take out a mortgage, find out how much you can afford to borrow. It might be tempting to stick with your current mortgage provider however we’d recommend shopping around for potentially a better deal elsewhere. Using an independent mortgage advisor who searching all of the mortgage market is a good idea.  We work with Apr Money Limited who do just that, without charging you a fee! Find out more.

Choose an estate agent to sell your house

Ask yourself the following questions to help make your decision easier:

• Are they local? Don’t forget this is your first sale, you will need support from a team whenever you have a question/query or whenever an issue arises.
• Can you pop into the branch? There’s nothing more frustrating than being put through to a call centre and dealing with a person who doesn’t know you or the area your house is in.
• Do they do accompanied viewings at no extra cost? From our experience, it would be advantageous to use the expertise of an accompanied viewer, so bear this in mind when weighing up costs.
• Do they charge a fee even if your house doesn’t sell? Beware of any agent asking you to pay upfront fees,. Find out if there are any hidden extras to pay and whether you will be charged a fee if you withdraw the house from the market.
• Are they experienced enough to negotiate you the best price? A good idea is to meet the sales team who will be dealing with your house sale. Do you get a good feeling from them?
• Will they help with sales progression? Generating an offer is just the first part of the selling process.  You need to be confident the agent is able to guide your sale through to a successful completion, otherwise you may waste a lot of time and money if it doesn’t sell.

Work out the cost to sell your house

Some estate agents charge a percentage fee of the final selling price, for example if you agree a fee of 1.25 + VAT and they sell the house for £150,000 you will pay £1875 plus VAT (total £2250). Or sometimes a fixed fee can be agreed from the outset, to be paid on completion, regardless of the selling price.

Other agents may charge you an upfront flat fee at the beginning of a sale. Many of these deals come with extra charges for viewings and sales progression and are not usually refundable, even if your house doesn’t sell.

Aim for the best price possible

You overall goal should be to achieve the best price for your house in a short time-frame with as little stress as possible; so always consider an agent that you are confident will negotiate the best price for you. Will it be the one who is motivated to sell your house to achieve their fee or one which has already been paid upfront? Which agent will give you the best overall value for money and negotiate the highest possible sale price for you?

John German’s all inclusive package

John German are focused on service to make you move a happy one. As part of the experience we offer an all inclusive package so you feel supported throughout the process

• Extensive online advertising including Rightmove and OnTheMarket
• Matching your property to our database of buyers looking in your area
• Top quality marketing including brochures, photographs and floor plans
• Accompanied viewings
• Finding the right buyer and negotiating the best price
• Support throughout – sales progression
• No upfront costs
• No sale, No fee

FIND OUT MORE