Sellers

A Guide To Selling

Getting Everything in Place

What do we do?

First of all we visit your property in order to value it and decide on an asking price with you. We will then prepare details of the house to send out to people who are interested in buying it. These details will include the number and size of the rooms, a floor plan and sometimes the fixtures and fittings which will be left in the house. We also arrange for the property to be advertised in various ways that may include the internet, magazines and newspapers, direct mailings and a for sale board. We do all of the viewings ourselves.

Deciding who to sell to

You can sell the house to whoever you want and do not have to sell to the buyer who offers the most money. You may wish to take into account whether the buyer:-

• is a first time buyer
• has found a buyer for their own property. If so, is it part of a chain of buying and selling and how long is the chain
• is paying cash or is likely to get a mortgage
• wants to move at the same time as you.

SPACE

Any room can be made to seem more spacious by removing clutter and repositioning mirrors to reflect as much light as possible.

KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS

A bright, clean, user-friendly kitchen is truly appetising to most buyers. As is a bathroom that looks inviting, hygienic and uncluttered.

ENHANCE YOUR MOST ATTRACTIVE FEATURES

If you have a fine fireplace for instance, make it the focus of the room and complement it with a well chosen picture or mirrors. Always remember you are trying to appeal to the widest possible audience

Properties urgently required

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR GARDEN

A day spent tidying up the garden could save you weeks of waiting for the buyer.No need to get TV's Ground Force team in, just mow the lawn, weed the borders and possibly plant a few neat shrubs.

Accepting the offer

Even if you have accepted an offer, there is nothing in law to prevent you from changing your mind and accepting a higher offer from someone else. You should also bear in mind that when an offer is made and accepted the potential buyer can also withdraw, for example, they may not get a mortgage, or the survey may show up some structural problem.

Choosing who is to do the legal work (conveyancing)

When you have accepted an offer you need to inform whoever is doing the legal work. You could:-

• use a solicitor; or
• use a licensed conveyancer.

Most firms of solicitors offer a conveyancing service. Although all solicitors can legally do conveyancing, it is advisable to choose a solicitor who has experience of this work.

Using a licensed conveyancer (England and Wales only) You can use a licensed conveyancer to do your conveyancing. Licensed conveyancers are not solicitors but are licensed by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers. If you want to find out if a local conveyancer is licensed you can write to the Council of Licensed Conveyancers. For futher information visit http://www.conveyancer.org.uk

Exchange of contracts

When contracts are exchanged, and before completion, the buyer may wish to visit the house, for example, to measure up for carpets or to get an estimate for building work. However, you should not allow any work to be done by the buyer before completion. You should inform the utility companies and phone company that you are leaving and ask for final readings to be made of the meters on completion day. You should also inform the person at the council responsible for council tax. Other useful checks include post-redirection and confirming removals company.


If the buyer is paying a deposit, this will be paid to your solicitor at exchange of contracts. The solicitor will hold this deposit until completion.

Completion

You must arrange to leave the house empty by completion day and to hand over all the keys. Your solicitor will receive the rest of the purchase price from the buyer and will pass this, together with the deposit, to you.

Information for Sellers

Choosing an estate agent to sell your home or investment requires careful consideration. Questions to consider are:

How much experience does the team have?

Many companies will send their most experienced team member to value your property but once you have instructed them as your agent you will then be passed to the junior members of the team many of whom may only have a few months experience within estate agency. When dealing with Rochford Stokes you will always deal with a highly experienced professional who is focused on serving you.

How well do they know the area?

We love this area & know it inside out. We have 36 years of estate agency experience. we live locally with our families. We also have an extensive network of longstanding professional contacts including solicitors, surveyors & mortgage brokers, which assist us in progressing transactions smoothly.

Will I deal with the same people from start to finish that fully understand my situation?

Yes, you will deal with the same dedicated, focussed team from the day you initially instruct us to the day of completion.

If a problem arises can I have the confidence that my agent can work through it?

Yes. Over the years we have negotiated hundreds of property transactions. You can rest assured that there is very little that we haven’t dealt with already, so you know that you are in very safe hands.

Will my agent always remember that they act for ME & keep MY best interests at heart at all times?

Yes. We NEVER forget that you are entrusting your most valuable asset into our hands, so we approach every sale as if it were our own. We also never forget that you pay our bill. Because we are independent we do not answer to bosses who have ulterior motives behind selling properties, like selling mortgages, insurance & other financial products.

Will my agent show my property to properly qualified buyers or drag anyone around who just happened to call them, just to make it look as if they are doing something to sell my house?

If you want an estate agent that is going to show your property to unqualified potential purchasers then we are definitely the wrong agent to choose. It never ceases to amaze us how some estate agents are willing to only ask a prospective buyer for the briefest of details, before throwing them in their car for a tour of every property on the agents register that is vaguely in their price range. They do this without first obtaining a proper understanding of the buyers’ motivation & ability to buy.

We only show properties, to buyers who have been properly qualified. This includes asking questions about: How they propose to finance the purchase? What their current situation is? What their motivation is? What they liked & disliked about other properties that they have seen already? This enables us to develop a proper understanding of exactly; what it is that they are looking for, how quickly they want to buy it & how they are going to pay for it? This will save you a lot of time & inconvenience, not to mention wear & tear on your carpets! What is the point of showing your property to 50 people if it can be ascertained, by proper questioning, that 90% would never or could never buy it.

How do we market homes?

We will ensure that we fully understand your requirements & objectives so that we are able to not only achieve the best possible price for you but also match a buyer that fits with your timescale. We will then ensure that your property receives maximum exposure by using a combination of local media & online advertising, through the main property portals & our own website. Our activities will also include:

• Preparation of quality, full colour sales particulars with professionally taken photos & floor plans.
• Email & text message updates to registered qualified buyers
• Telephone contact with registered qualified buyers.

We will also maintain regular contact with you at every stage with updates on progress & feedback.

Once we agree a sale on your property, wherever appropriate, we will liaise with all the solicitors, surveyors, mortgage brokers & other estate agents involved in the transaction to ensure that your sale progresses smoothly.

To arrange a free, no obligation, marketing appraisal of your home give us a call on 0207 622 1180