Selling your home, well.

Step 01: Get your finances in order

Selling is rarely a single transaction — most sellers are also buying. Start by understanding the financial geometry of both sides. Check for early repayment charges on your existing mortgage, explore whether the product can be ported to your next home, and calculate your borrowing capacity for the onward purchase. Independent mortgage broker advice is almost always worth the fee.

• Check for early repayment charges on the current mortgage
• Explore mortgage porting options with your lender
• Determine borrowing capacity for the next property
• Calculate total moving costs including stamp duty

Step 02: Make your home look its best

Buyers form a view inside the first thirty seconds of a viewing — and within the first three photographs of an online listing. Present the home so they can see themselves living in it. Interior should be clean, decluttered and neutral; exterior should be tidy. Cost-effective improvements like fresh paint and new hardware almost always outperform expensive renovations on return per pound.

• Deep-clean the interior and remove clutter
• Tidy the exterior — mow the lawn, clean the windows, repair fences
• Consider affordable improvements like paint and door furniture
• Get a survey done if major issues are suspected

Step 03: Get your property valued

Accurate pricing is the single biggest lever on time-to-sale. Pitch too high and the home goes stale in the first fortnight; pitch too low and you give up money on the day. Invite multiple agents to value, ask each for the comparable evidence behind their number, and listen for which agent is pricing the property versus which is bidding for the instruction.

• Research recent comparable sales in your area
• Invite multiple agents for valuations
• Select agents with strong local track records
• Request the comparables and sales evidence behind each number

Step 04: Set an asking price

Base the asking price on agent recommendations and recent comparable sales — not on the highest valuation. Agents who routinely overvalue to win business will quietly chip away at the price after the first fortnight, by which point the listing is stale. If the three valuations vary widely, average them and cross-reference with actual recent sold prices.

• Compare multiple agent valuations side-by-side
• Avoid unrealistic pricing that deters buyers
• Base the decision on average valuation plus comparables
• Don't choose an agent purely on the highest number

Step 05: Instruct an estate agent

Once you've selected an agency, you'll sign an instruction contract that sets out the terms — fee, sole-agency period, marketing inclusions, and the services covered. Read it carefully and ask about anything ambiguous. The cheapest fee rarely matches the most effective sale, but the most expensive isn't automatically the best either.

• Review contract terms and tie-in period carefully
• Understand the commission structure and what services are included

Step 06: Prepare the marketing materials

Professional photography requires a pristine property — there's no second pass. Ensure every room is spotless, clutter-free and decorated minimally before the photographer arrives. Review the floorplan and property description before publication. Verify your listing appears on Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket simultaneously.

• Have the home spotless for professional photography
• Keep decorative items minimal and the colour palette simple
• Review descriptions and floorplans for accuracy
• Verify listings on Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket

Step 07: Get your paperwork in order

Prepare documentation early — every day saved on paperwork is a day saved on the chain. Gather title deeds, building certificates, planning permissions, electrical certificates, recent utility bills, insurance policies, mortgage details and warranties. Having these ready signals to buyers and their solicitors that you're organised and serious.

• Property title deeds
• Building Regulation and Planning Certificates
• Electrical certificates and recent utility bills
• Insurance policies and mortgage details
• Lease documents and builder's warranties where applicable

Step 08: Conduct or work around viewings

Let your agent conduct viewings on your behalf wherever possible. They know how to showcase a property, and buyers feel meaningfully more comfortable asking detailed questions when the seller isn't in the room. If you must show the home yourself, plan the route, the order, and the points to highlight in advance.

• Let the agent conduct most viewings
• Arrange to be absent during viewings if possible
• Practice the property tour if showing yourself
• Plan room sequence and highlight key features

Step 09: Instruct a solicitor or conveyancer

Conveyancing is the legal transfer of ownership. Appoint a solicitor or licensed conveyancer before accepting offers — there's no benefit to waiting, and starting early is one of the cheapest ways to shave time off the transaction. Complete the Law Society seller forms early to demonstrate readiness.

Step 10: Reassess if your home isn't selling

If the property has sat on the market without serious interest, talk to your agent honestly about why. The cause is almost always one of three things: price, presentation in the marketing, or market conditions. A small price reduction, a refresh of the lead photograph, or a temporary withdrawal can each reset the listing meaningfully.

• Discuss with the agent why the property isn't attracting offers
• Consider a price reduction informed by recent comparable activity
• Update marketing materials and the main listing image
• Be prepared to wait for better market conditions where appropriate

Step 11: Receive offers

Your agent will present every offer with full context on the buyer's situation. Price matters, but so do the surrounding factors: chain position, mortgage status, timeline, and the buyer's ability to actually proceed. Rank buyers by execution risk as well as headline number.

• Chain-free cash buyers — lowest risk
• Home movers with completed sales — low risk
• First-time buyers and cash investors — moderate risk
• Sellers with sold STC properties — moderate risk
• Sellers needing large mortgages — highest risk

Step 12: Accept an offer or negotiate

Most buyer offers come in below asking. Weigh the negotiation against affordability for your onward purchase, market fairness, the buyer's circumstances and any time pressure. Your agent will guide you, but the final decision rests with you — and a slightly lower number from a stronger buyer is often the better trade.

Step 13: Start house-hunting

Register with agents and set portal alerts early, but focus serious viewings once your own property is sold subject to contract. SSTC status materially strengthens you as a buyer in competitive markets — and prevents the heartbreak of losing a home to someone who's already in a position to proceed.

Step 14: Keep things moving

Clarify what's included in the sale — fixtures, fittings, white goods, garden items. Establish expected exchange and completion dates with the buyer in writing. The note isn't legally binding but it focuses minds and creates accountability. Maintain regular communication with all parties — your agent, your solicitor, the buyer's side.

Step 15: Exchange and complete

Exchange is the legal commitment point — the buyer pays a deposit and both sides are locked in. Buildings insurance must be live from exchange day. Completion is the final milestone: keys are released, the balance transfers, and the property is no longer yours. If you're buying onward, coordinate to complete the same day where possible to avoid storage and hotel costs.

• Secure buildings insurance from exchange date
• Complete the onward purchase the same day where possible
• Remove all belongings before completion
• Deliver keys to your agent for buyer collection