Guide to Selling


Selling your house can be a stressful time. It is a huge decision to make and with so many factors to consider we have put together a step-by-step guide to help you avoid any costly mistakes.
Set Your Budget

1. Review Your Finances

Understanding your mortgage situation is a good first step when considering selling your home – what is the outstanding balance? Are there any early settlement penalties? Are you in negative equity? Until you have received a formal valuation, you can only make a rough assumption on the value of your property. You must also factor in the cost of moving house within your budget as these can soon mount up with selling and legal fees, removal companies and stamp duty, if you are buying a new property.

Create Your Wishlist

2. Preparing Your Home

First impressions are everything and the house should look well-presented and loved. View your house with a stranger’s critical eye - start with the outside making sure the approach is tidy and appealing, then de-clutter the inside, paint the main receptions rooms in light and neutral colours and accessorise with bright soft furnishings and mirrors. At Kings we use trained photographers, produce professional floor plans and full colour downloadable sales brochures to present your house at it’s best and promote it through our numerous marketing channels for a faster sale.

Your Search

3. The Valuation

Getting an accurate valuation is key – this will help to sell your home for the best possible price, in the shortest possible time. Being one of the leading Estate agents in the area for over 30 years, we really do understand the market and have an excellent sales rate with many happy customers. We offer a free valuation service from one of our many experienced agents. We will always be honest with our assessment, pricing and feedback and aim to achieve the asking price for all sales.

Making An Offer

4. Choosing An Agent

When deciding which agent to put your house on the market with, there are many factors to compare. You want an agent that will proactively market your property - make sure they have their listings online with the major search websites such as Rightmove and Zoopla as well as professional photography, brochures and advertising. And read up on customer reviews, their opening times are and location. At Kings Royal Tunbridge Wells, we are the only agent in town open 6 days a week and being located next to Tunbridge Wells station, our properties are on display directly to the station platform giving us a prime audience of both commuters and visitors to the town.

Having Your Offer Accepted

5. Viewings

If you are not comfortable hosting viewings on your own, our agents will accompany and show round all prospective buyers. With our longer opening hours we can work the viewing appointments around your busy schedule. We can help answer any questions the potential buyers may have and we will always provide prompt and honest feedback on every viewing.

The Legal Side

6. Receiving An Offer

We will inform you of all offers made on your home. Using our knowledge of the market we can advise on the validity of the offer and whether we think you should enter into price negotiations. Our agent will always be the main point of contact for the negotiations between you and the buyer. We will communicate any conditions of the offer to you in writing, make sure that that the potential buyer is in a good position to proceed with the sale and, most importantly, keep you updated at all times.

The Essential Paperwork

7. Instructing Your Solicitor

Although the conveyancing process does not start until you have formally accepted an offer, it is a good idea to have a solicitor appointed, briefed and ready to go early on. If you are both selling your property and buying a new home, then may save you time and money to use the same solicitor for both transactions. Being a local business, we are happy to recommend some trusted local solicitors with whom we work with regularly and have built up good relationships.

The Survey & Mortgage Offer

8. Accepting An Offer

If the offer is acceptable to you, we will write to all parties to confirm the agreed price and possible conditions of the offer. You will need to confirm your solicitor’s details so we can prepare a memorandum of sale. There are no legal obligations until contracts are signed and exchanged. At this point you will need to instruct your solicitor, who will send you a questionnaire about the property for you to complete and return, which in turn they will feed into the Contract Pack for the Buyer’s Solicitors. Your solicitor will then obtain the title documentation and details of the outstanding amounts on any mortgages. We will keep in touch with all parties and keep you informed throughout this process.

Exchange

9. Exchange Contracts

Once all parties are happy with the contract and all other queries and issues on fixtures & fittings, leaseholds, deeds, searches etc. have been resolved, and the buyers have their mortgage offer or funds formally in place, then the exchange of contracts can take place and a completion date agreed. On signing the contract, the deposit (usually 10% of the purchase price) will be paid by the buyer's solicitor to your solicitor. If you are in a property chain, you will have to wait until all parties are ready to exchange.

Completion

10. Completion

Once you have exchanged contracts, you have up until the completion date to vacate your sold home. The completion day is when you legally transfer the ownership of the property to the purchaser and the outstanding balance is transferred from the buyer to your solicitors account. Your solicitor will confirm to all parties when the money has cleared. We can then release the keys to the buyer - and your house is now sold! Any outstanding mortgage you have had on the property, will be settled by your solicitor directly with your provider.