Selling your Home Checklist - Yopa Homeowners Hub

Selling your home can seem like an overwhelming task. Where do you even start?

The answer is – since you’ve already arrived on our lovely page – with our Selling Your Home Checklist, covering all the information you need to know before making that big move. We’ll also be making a printable version of the guide available over the next few months so that you can print off a copy and keep track of your progress.

So without further ado…

Getting your finances in order

When you decide to sell your home, the first thing to consider is whether it’s financially viable. Moving costs can be expensive, so have you considered other alternatives such as extending your current house? Also, how strong is the current property market? Would you be in negative equity if you sold right now?

If you decide to go ahead with putting your home up for sale, contact your mortgage lender to let them know of your intention to sell. Find out the size of your outstanding mortgage as well as any early redemption penalties. If you’re purchasing a new home, consider the mortgage amount you’ll require and compare how much you’ll be able to borrow from mortgage lenders.

Begin budgeting for moving costs.
Research the current property market.
Contact your mortgage lender to determine the size of your outstanding mortgage and whether there are any early redemption penalties.

Decide who will sell your property

There are several ways you can sell your home, including using the services of a regular estate agent, online estate agent or selling privately. If you plan to use a local estate agent, compare them to determine how fast their properties sell and if they receive the asking prices. You also can opt to have more than one agent to sell your home. However, it’s worth noting that you’ll likely incur higher fees in doing so.

As an alternative, consider using an online or hybrid estate agent instead. Online and hybrid agents are growing in popularity and tend to offer competitive rates.

If you think you could do without an estate agent at all, selling your home privately could save you thousands of pounds – but it requires you to do a lot of the work that an estate agent would usually carry out.

We’ve put together a full guide to online estate agents here, and for selling your home privately here.

Do your research into local estate agents, online and hybrid estate agents, as well as the possibility of selling your home privately.
Decide on who you want to sell your property and let them know!
Thoroughly review any contracts and – if happy – fill in the necessary paperwork.

Decide on an asking price

One of the toughest decisions you’ll face in the selling process is setting a price for your home. At this stage, many people opt to use the services of an estate agent to help them set the right price for both a quick sale and the highest profit.

Don’t feel forced into opting for the highest or lowest valuation; instead, consider your personal financial circumstances before you decide on a selling price. Furthermore, remember that buyers are more than likely likely to make an offer under the selling price, and that a property survey can also force a reduction in what a buyer will be willing to pay. A great method for establishing your selling price is to take the lowest offer you would consider and then add around 10% on top.

If you are looking to sell your home privately then we have put together a guide on how to value your own property here.

Find out what similar houses in your area have sold for in the past 12 months.
Work with your estate agent to set a realistic asking price for your property.

Preparing your home for viewings

You only get one chance to make a great impression!

A viewing will make or break your chance to sell your home, so it is imperative that you make your property look its best. Clear your home of clutter and mess, especially the exterior, as this will give a good first impression. A few quick fixes can make a massive difference so add a lick of paint, fix any loose fittings, remove or repair broken furniture, and make your home feel as light and airy as possible.

If you have pets, deal with any odours or pet hair, and ensure all areas of your home, including the garden, are clean.

Adding greenery, baking a cake, and lighting the fire are all elements that can make your home seem more appealing to potential buyers.

We’ve put together a full guide on preparing your home for viewings here.

Clear any clutter and mess.
Remove or repair any broken furniture.
If needed, give your rooms a fresh lick of paint.
Make your home seem as ‘neutral’ as possible.
Remove any sign of pets living in your home.
Add some potted plants or flowers to the exterior and interior of your property.
Bake a cake a few hours before your viewings.

Choosing a conveyancer or solicitor

To deal with the legal paperwork involved with selling your home, you’ll need to hire a conveyancer or solicitor. Do your research and compare them to find the best quotes. You can use one recommended by your estate agent but this may involve added fees, as the estate agent usually takes a commission.

You’ll need to decide on a solicitor or conveyancer before your home sells, but the paperwork will only be completed once an offer is agreed.

To find a local conveyancer, you can search on The Council for Licensed Conveyancers’ website at www.clc-uk.org. For nearby solicitors, try The Law Society’s website at www.lawsociety.org.uk.

Research, choose and instruct a conveyancer or solicitor.
Review their draft contract and / or terms of engagement.

Accepting an offer

Your estate agent is legally required to inform you of all offers you receive. You can reject an offer, inform the agent to negotiate a better offer, or accept it. Once you accept an offer, the estate agent will remove your home from the market. As the acceptance of an offer is not legally binding, you can still accept a better offer that comes along or change your mind with regards to the sale.

Reject, negotiate, or accept an offer on your property.

Working through the paperwork

There is a vast amount of paperwork involved in the process of selling your home. Your conveyancer or solicitor will provide you with questionnaires that you’ll be required to complete. This will involve a general questionnaire about your home, a form about the fittings and fixtures you’re including with the property sale, a form on the arrangements for handing over the property, and details of the leasehold or commonhold if you do not own the freehold.

Complete the TA6 (general questionnaire), TA10 (fixtures and fittings) and TA13 (completion) forms.
Complete the TA7 form if you are selling a leasehold property, or a TA9 form if you are selling a commonhold property.

Drafting a contract with the buyer

Once you’re happy with offer you’ve received, it’s now time to draft a contract. Both you and the buyer will need to decide if the offer will be reduced due to the results of the property survey. Furthermore, you’ll be required to establish if you’re adding any further fittings and fixtures to the sale and if they need paying for. You’ll also need to determine the time between exchanging contracts and completion of the sale.

Work with your solicitor or conveyancer to draft a contract with the buyer.

Exchanging contracts with the buyer

Exchanging contracts with the buyer of your home means you’re now legally obligated to the sale. The buyer is also legally obligated to purchase the property from you. Your solicitor will exchange the contracts on your behalf.

Contracts should be exchanged after you have secured a mortgage (if necessary), organised building insurance, funded the deposit of the contract deposit, and agreed a date of completion. It’s possible to exchange and complete the sale on the same day, but it can be more challenging to organise the removal of your belongings.

Agree a time and date to exchange contracts (your solicitor or conveyancer will do the ‘exchanging’ on your behalf).
Soon after exchanging contracts, you should receive the buyer’s deposit (usually around 10% of the full property price).

Book some time off work

After the contracts have been exchanged, it’s time to prepare for the big move. If you work, booking some time off is ideal as there will likely be arrangements to make, including removals. Try and book at least a few days off to give yourself time to plan the task of moving house. Leaving it until the last minute can result in panic, so ensure that you have planned well ahead.

If you work, be sure to book a few days off!

Compare and arrange removal costs

Moving home can be expensive so compare several removal services before you take the plunge. Once you’ve found the best company for your needs, let them know the moving date and how many vans you’ll require. It’s best to contact them again 24-48hrs before your moving date to ensure that your moving day plans are confirmed.

Use a site such as Compare My Move to compare removal costs.
Book a well respected, fully-insured removal company. We recommend looking for one backed by The British Association of Removers or the Property Redress Scheme.
Contact your removal company 24-48 hours before your moving date to confirm times.

Sort out your bills

Once you have sold your home, it’s important that you contact your service providers and banks to let them know your change of address. This will ensure that all your future bills are addressed to your new property and that you keep up with payments.

Contact your banks and credit cards to inform them of your change of address.
Contact any utility companies (electricity, gas, Sky, broadband, phone line, etc) to inform them of your change of address and to give final meter readings where appropriate.

Redirect your post

For all other post, you may want to direct it to your new address. You can set up a redirection with the Post Office to prevent other people from accessing your personal details and to prevent ID theft. Your mail can be re-directed from £31.99 via Royal Mail for up to 3, 6 or 12 months.

Arrange for your postal redirection at https://www.royalmail.com/personal/receiving-mail/redirection.

Clean your house before you move

Before you move out of your property, ensure your home is thoroughly cleaned and that you’ve checked each room for any overlooked belongings. If you find anything is broken, contact your solicitor to let them know. While it’s highly likely that the new owners will clean your property once they’ve moved in, its good manners to ensure that your home is in a good condition for them to live in.

Give your house a deep clean before you move out.

Moving home and completing the sale

Completion of the sale occurs when you have exchanged keys and contracts, at which point the payment for the property will be transferred. If it’s not completed by 3pm, completion must occur the following day. If you’re in a chain of buyers, the completion process may take longer than expected.

Once the transfer of money occurs, the property deeds will be exchanged via your solicitor who will register the transfer with the Land Registry. You can move out of your home up until the day of completing the sale. Ensure that you have collected all spare keys and left any relevant information for the new homeowners.