House to Sell? The 10 Steps to Success!

If you need a fast property sale there's a proven 10-step order to follow that will give your sale and purchase the best chance of success.

Here it is:

Step #1 - Research Your Purchase

Step #2 - Choose Your Sale

Step #3 - Workout Your Budget

Step #4 - Find The Best Mortgage Deal

Step #5 - Find a Cheap Specialist Conveyancing Solicitor

Step #6 - Put Your Property on the Market

Step #7 - Start house hunting once you start receiving offers or               are experiencing a steady stream of positive viewings.

Step #8 - Offer on your new home and instruct your solicitor to               co-ordinate the completion date of your sale and               purchase.

Step #9 - Have your mortgage broker finalise your new mortgage.

Step #10 - Complete on your sale and purchase and MOVE IN!

As you can see, this website provides guidance on the first 6 steps of the process (i.e. everything you have to do up until you find a buyer).

Now lets take a closer look at each of these 6 steps.

Successfully Sell a House - Step #1

Research Your Purchase!

When you have a house to sell your 1st priority is to form clear idea of what (and where) your next property is going to be.

Do you:

• Know where you want to move?
• Know what sort of property you'll be looking for?
• Know what price range that sort of property is in?
• Know whether those kinds of properties are even available (i.e. come up for sale regularly)?

It's amazing how many house sellers skip this step. Things seldom fall nicely into place. In fact, in the UK, on average 1 in 3 house sales fail each year.

Experienced sellers have learnt that answering these questions up front saves a lot of wasted time and money.

The good news is that you don't need to do any full-blooded house hunting at this stage.

Just try to form a realistic idea of your requirements. Get a feel for property values in the area you want to move to and get registered with all the local agents.

Successfully Sell a House - Step #2

Research Your Sale!

Really there are only two questions you need answers to:

1. Is now a good time to sell?
2. How much is my house worth?

We would urge you to get a feel for the market you'll be selling in and the value of your house before you speak to any estate agents.

This is because the word of some estate agents when they're trying to secure you as a client can be far from reliable.

Read: Never Trust an Agent's Property Valuation

Action: Get a Free Property Valuation

Successfully Sell a House - Step #3

Workout Your Budget!

When you have a house to sell, once you've a realistic idea of your likely sale price you have to get a grip on all the costs of moving in order to calculate your true buying power.

Read: What Your House Sale and Move Will Cost

Successfully Sell a House - Step #4

Find Your Ideal Mortgage!

There are 1,000's of mortgages out there and 100's of lenders. If you shop around you'll get a better deal!

The best advice will come from a whole of market mortgage broker.

At this stage your main goals are to:

1. Ask, "How much can I borrow?"
2. Arrange a "mortgage in principle"

With a "mortgage in principle" in place you stand a better chance of having your offers accepted on your new home!

This is because you become a buyer who is ready to act. In turn you will also cut the risk of being gazumped.

Action: Find Your Perfect Mortgage Now!

Successfully Sell a House - Step #5

Find the Best Conveyancing Solicitor!

Most vendors wait until they find a buyer before they find a conveyancer.

With the new breed of no-sale, no-fee conveyancing solicitors services, it costs you nothing to instruct your property lawyer earlier than this.

Doing this will shave a good few weeks off the time it takes to process your transaction.

Our advice is to find a conveyancing solicitor now and instruct them to:

1. Arrange for your title deeds to be recovered.
2. Have a draft contract prepared.
3. Issue you with the seller property information questionnaires.

Your conveyancing solicitors are going to be your greatest ally during the next few months so make sure you find a really good one.

Action: Compare Conveyancing Solicitors Fees!

Successfully Sell a House - Step #6

Put Your House on the Market!

If you haven't yet decided how you're going to sell read out guide to choosing which way is best.

Read: Choose Which House Sale Method is Best!

How Long Does it Take to Sell a House?

When you have a house to sell be prepared to endure the following timescales:

• Prepare yourself and the property for sale (2-3 weeks)
• Find a buyer (4-8 weeks)
• Offer on a new house and exchange contracts on your sale and purchase (8-14 weeks)

[NB: A good conveyancing solicitor can reduce this]

• Complete the transactions (2-4 weeks)

[NB: Again a good conveyancing solicitor can reduce this]

It can take anywhere between 4 - 7.5 months to sell a house and buy a new one.

That's a long time - Longer than you thought perhaps!?

The average seller hasn't done the research and preparation you're doing!

They will take the full 7.5 months or more to get the job done.

The advice in this website will make sure that when you have a house to sell, you'll take a lot less!