Seller's Guide

Before selling your home

You need to decide whether you are going to sell your home privately, with an estate agent or with both.

Why sell privately?

The internet is growing constantly, and more and more people are using it to help them sell their property, without the need of an estate agent.

70% of property for sale in the UK is first viewed on the internet by a potential buyer, highlighting the power the internet has when selling.

Estate agents use the internet as one of their primary tools to help them sell and let property. They advertise on the same websites as we do, attracting, on average, over 3 million viewers per month.

Private sales are also on the increase. It is estimated that 1 in 10 properties sold in the UK and Ireland are privately sold, saving the seller thousands.

So if you want to sell your property fast, and save yourself a small fortune, then selling privately with YouSellYourProperty.com is the answer.

Key features
  • Gain maximum exposure through our website and our partners websites
  • Advertise to over 3 million people each month
  • Massive savings, amounting to thousands
  • Be in control of your advertisement
  • Customise your personal information to protect your privacy
  • Information and support from YouSellYourProperty.com to assist you in selling your property
Advertise with YouSellYourProperty.com

Why should you pay more in commission to an estate agent, when selling your home, then someone selling their home for a lower value than you? The work carried out by an estate agent for each property will be exactly the same! We at You sell your property.com think this is totally unfair. This is why we have devised a system to aid our customers to sell their properties for a fraction of the cost.

When you advertise with us, your property will be displayed on our website and other leading property websites including; Fish4Homes and Hot Property, which will allow millions of potential buyers to view it. We will also provide you with a board identical to those used by estate agents, which is a proven to be an effective tool when selling property.

Be in control when selling with YouSellYourProperty.com
  • You will be in full control when selling privately with YouSellYourProperty.com.
  • You place your ad on YouSellYourProperty.com, including pictures and descriptions of your property.
  • You choose what personal information you wish to display i.e. your home telephone number, mobile number and address.
  • Instead of displaying your personal information, we will provide you an email address, where potential buyers can leave you messages.
  • You decide what price to sell your property for
  • Arrange viewings to suit you
  • Manage offers and negotiate the best deal to suit yourself
Sell privately and with an estate agent

Estate agents may include a clause in the contract they get you to sign. This clause is called a ‘Sole selling rights clause’, which means

  • You still have to pay an estate agent their commission if you sell your home privately.
  • You can sell your home yourself privately or with the help of a property advertising company, like YouSellYourProperty.com as long as you have not signed a contract with an estate agent with a "Sole selling rights" clauses in it.
  • Ask the estate agent you are using, whether the ‘Sole selling rights clause’ is in your contract. If it is, ask the estate agent to remove it, which they have got to do under the “unfair contracts act”. Do not allow them to tell you otherwise.
    It is your right to have the "Sole selling rights" clause removed.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, email or call us and we will help answer any questions you might have.

Things to consider when selling
  • Interest rates
    If interest rates are rising, then mortgages will be more expensive, making it harder to sell your property. Although you should not be put off by this, as there will still be people willing to buy property.
  • Time of the year to sell
    Summer is usually the best time to sell. It is a proven fact that more people move house throughout the summer than any other period of the year. This is not to say that people will not buy property at other times of the year. People buying property will usually depend on their individual circumstances.
  • Preparing you property for the market
    Will you have to carry any work to your property before selling? How long will this work take? Start any works as early as possible so you can get your property on the market for potential buyers to see.
  • Are you in a chain?
    If you selling your existing home is dependant on you finding a new home to move into at the same time, then start looking as early as possible. Decide on the areas you want to move to and the type of property you desire. Once you have decided this, start looking for property in your price bracket.
Valuing your property

Estate agents value property based on previously sold property in your area and current market trends. Their valuation is not an official valuation; this can only be obtained from a chartered surveyor.

You could get an estate agent to value you property by telling them you wish to sell through them. Once they have given you the valuation, inform them that you have decided against selling.

If you choose to get an estate agent to value your home, get more then one opinion as the sometimes value property in their own interest. They may value higher to gain more commission or lower to ensure a quick sale.

If you want to use a chartered surveyor you will have to pay for their valuation. Check with one to get an idea of how much it will cost.

If you want to value your property yourself, research your local area on the internet and in local papers to see what property of a similar type to yours is going for. Check the current market trends to get a good idea of what value you should sell for.

Finally, it depends on how quickly you need to sell your property, and how patient you can be waiting for a buyer to pay your asking price?

Preparing for viewing

Clean your home from top to bottom. Hoover, dust and wipe down all surfaces. Put all belongs that are not furnishings; away so potential buyers do not see them when they visit.

If your property is not in a high standard condition, then you may need to do some work to obtain a good value when selling.

If you do carry out works to freshen up your home, keep it simple and neutral to suit all tastes.

If you decide against carrying works to your home, then you may need to alter you asking price to make your property more attractive to potential buyers.

Viewings

When it comes to showing people around your home, be yourself. Do not put on a show for people. Potential buyers are coming to view your home, not judge you.

Be polite, do not intimidate people and keep your temper under control, even if someone says something that touches a nerve.

Try to be flexible when arranging viewing times with people and take contact details incase you have to conceal. Keep a diary so you can manage viewings.

Offers

After a few viewing, hopefully you will have some offers to consider. Have a minimum price in mind that you would accept before advertising.

Before you accept an offer find out whether the buyer has a mortgage offer in principle and ask to see it, also ask whether they are in a chain.

If the buyer does not have a mortgage offer in principle and they are in a chain both of these will slow down the sale of your property, so be prepared.

Conveyancing

Choose a solicitor to carry your conveyancing. If you do not have one already, then you can find one in your local telephone directory.

The time scale for conveyancing changes from case to case, but usually takes about 8 to 12 weeks.

Most solicitors charge between £400 - £700 when selling a property. These figures can rise depending on the value of your property.