Selling your home

We know how easy it is to fall in love with a new Charles Church home, but if you have a home to sell, there’s still that little business of selling it before you can make your dream move.

We're here to guide you through the selling process and offer a few tips for smooth sale.

Step 1: Work out your finances

Step 2: Choose an estate agent

Step 3: Appoint a solicitor

Step 4: Get your Energy Performance Certificate

Step 5: Put your home on the market

Step 6: Get ready for viewings with our top selling tips

Step 7: Accept an offer

Step 1: Work out your finances

Get a valuation

The first thing you’ll want to know is how much your property is worth. This will help you work out what you can afford to buy and if the time is right to sell. To get an idea of your home’s value, look online to see what similar properties in your area have sold for.

But for a more accurate valuation, you’ll need to get an estate agent involved. The general consensus is to get at least three valuations. If one is especially high, ask why, as it could be a ruse to attract your business.

Factor in essential selling costs

When thinking about your overall budget, remember to factor in the costs of selling. These include:

• Estate agent fees – typically 1-3.5% of your home’s value
• Conveyancing fees – vary, but you expect these to be between £500-£1,500
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) – £60-£120
• In Scotland you’ll also have to fund a Home Report.

You should also check if there will be costs associated with changing your mortgage or if you need to pay any tax on the sale of your property.

Schemes to help you sell

If the costs associated with selling are stopping you buying your dream Charles Church home, find out how our Part Exchange or Home Change schemes could reduce your costs – and stress levels.

Step 2: Choose an estate agent

Your estate agent provides your property valuation, helps you to price and market your home, conducts viewings and negotiates with buyers. They play an important role, so make sure you appoint someone you trust to act in your best interests. 

When choosing an agent, double-check the small print and don’t be afraid to negotiate on fees and levels of service. Ask family and friends for recommendations, look at online reviews and check that they’re experienced in marketing properties like yours in the local area.

How Charles Church can help

Give your estate agent’s details to your Charles Church sales advisor and they’ll keep track of your sale every week to ensure everything stays on track.

 If you want to avoid the hassle and cost of selling on the open market altogether, explore how Part Exchange or Home Change could be the ideal solution.

Step 3: Appoint a solicitor

Once you’ve appointed your estate agent, it’s time to instruct a conveyancer (solicitor) to draft a contract – called missives in Scotland – and apply for the property’s title deeds. That means you’ll have all the paperwork ready should a buyer make an offer.

Find out more about choosing and appointing a solicitor.

Step 4: Get your Energy Performance Certificate

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) grades a property on its energy efficiency. You’re legally required to have an EPC for your home before you can sell it.

Most people use an independent energy assessor to provide their EPC. You can find an assessor on the government website or you can purchase an EPC via your estate agent, but this usually works out more expensive. They generally cost between £60 and £120, depending on the size, type and location of the property.

EPCs are valid for 10 years, so it may be worth checking to see if you already have one. Although, if you’ve made any improvements that would have boosted your EPC rating since then, it may still be worth getting a new one.

Step 5: Put your home on the market

Putting your home on the market involves advertising your property with details of the accommodation, location and price.

Depending on the service your estate agent provides, this could be online (on property portals and social media), in printed publications (newspapers and magazines) and in their own shop window. They may also approach registered buyers in your local area directly.

When is the best time to sell a home?

If you’re not under pressure to sell right away, your estate agent will help you choose the best time to put your home on the market. The ideal time to sell is when there are plenty of people looking to buy – and that tends to be springtime (the best time) and autumn.

If possible, try to avoid the summer holidays and Christmas period as – not surprisingly – people are distracted or elsewhere.

Think kerb appeal

The exterior of your house speaks volumes to potential buyers. No matter how clean the interior may be, buyers will quickly drive away from an unloved garden, flaking window frames or a scruffy drive. Keeping on top of the lawn and giving the woodwork a lick of paint could make all the difference.

Tailor to your buyers

Think about the type of person your home is most suited to, and set it up to appeal to their lifestyle. For example, if it’s perfectly placed for young professionals, try converting a bedroom into an office and keeping the décor clean and minimal.

Make it welcoming

On viewing days, make sure pets are safely out of the way and everything’s looking clean and tidy. Turn on lights and heating to make every room warm, bright and welcoming.

Step 7: Accept an offer

Hopefully the offers will now flood in!

You may be tempted to take the highest offer, but remember not all buyers are equal. You may be better off choosing a lower offer if it increases the chances of a seamless, stress-free sale. So how do you choose the right buyer?

Try and find out as much as you can about your buyer’s finances. Chain-free buyers such as cash buyers and first time buyers are preferable as they can move quickly and are less likely to pull out of the contract at the last minute.

If your buyer does have a property to sell, confirm that it’s under offer before you decide whether or not to accept their offer on your home.

Work with your estate agent to set your priorities and objectives. They’re there to help you negotiate with prospective buyers, so be clear on what compromises you’re willing to make on price, and remember the first offer isn’t always the last!

How long does it take to sell a home?

There’s no definitive answer to how long it takes to sell a home, because it’s dependent on so many factors beyond anyone’s control. Some homes get a winning offer within a few days of being listed, others take weeks or even months.

But remember, accepting an offer isn’t the end of the journey. This is when the conveyancing process begins – and that can also take anything between several weeks to several months depending on the complexity of the properties and chain involved.

The key is to keep talking to your estate agent and solicitor who will keep you updated on timeframes.

The great thing about buying a new build home is that at least there’s no chain of buyers and sellers ahead of you. And if you don’t want a drawn out sales process, we can even remove the stress of selling your home with schemes such as Part Exchange and Home Change.