Guide to Selling Your First Home
Selling your first home can be both exciting and daunting. With the right preparation, a good conveyancing solicitor, and an experienced local estate agent, you can make the process quicker, easier, and maximise your return.
Choosing a Local Nottingham Estate Agent
A local, independent estate agent who understands the Nottingham property market will ensure your home is accurately priced and marketed to the right buyers.
Understanding the Sales Process
Understanding the Sales Process
Selling a home often takes longer than expected, typically around 12 weeks from agreeing on a price to completion, and longer for leasehold properties due to third-party involvement. Delays can happen at any stage, but a good estate agent will keep you updated on progress throughout.
Our Guide
Our Guide
Being aware of everything you need to do before you start means that you should be prepared for much of what is to follow. This handy guide will provide most of the information you need, but every sale is different and can throw up its own issues. For that reason, it’s important that you listen to any advice you get from the professionals you engage to help you.
Prepare your paperwork
Prepare your paperwork
As the sale progresses, your solicitor will need you to provide your prospective buyers and their solicitor with a number of documents that will give important information about your property. It’s worth getting as many of these ready at the outset as you can, so that when the time comes, you can forward them on immediately rather than holding up the process.
Preparing for a Property Sale
Preparing for a Property Sale
Following a few key steps to get organised before you list your property for sale can help avoid delays.
Essential documents include:
- Proof of identity (passport or driving licence)
- Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
- Guarantees for past work (damp proofing, window replacements, etc.)
- Planning permission for major works
- Gas and electrical safety checks
- Listed building/conservation area consent (if applicable)
- Leasehold-related paperwork (if applicable)
Finding the Right Estate Agent
Finding the Right Estate Agent
An experienced estate agent with local knowledge of the area your property is in will help ensure the sales process is efficient and stress free. Look for agents offering:
- Listings on major property websites (Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket)
- High-quality photos, virtual tours, and floorplans
- Traditional marketing, including window displays and ‘For Sale’ boards
- Strong online reviews from previous sellers
Online-only estate agents are becoming popular; however, they often lack local knowledge and require upfront payment, reducing their incentive to sell your property efficiently.
One of the best things you can do is read verified reviews to find out what previous customers thought of the service they received. At Robert Ellis, we’re currently rating at 4.9 out of 5 stars based on over 2,500 reviews.
Finally, be careful about online-only estate agents, who are unlikely to know your area and will usually ask for their fees in advance, meaning that they have little incentive to do everything they can to sell your home once they’ve got your money.
Setting the Right Price
Setting the Right Price
Your agent should provide a free valuation based on:
- Location and condition of your home
- Popularity of the area (e.g., school catchment zones)
- Recent local sales
- Future developments that may increase property value
You can set a price slightly higher to allow room for negotiation or lower the initial asking price for a quicker sale. Discuss your priorities with your agent to determine the best strategy to sell your home.
Presenting Your Home
Presenting Your Home
First impressions matter. To attract buyers and secure the best price:
- Keep décor neutral and tidy
- Patch up any visible damage
- Maintain the front garden for kerb appeal
- Deep cleaning before viewings and estate agent photography
- Remove clutter and personal items to make rooms feel spacious
Your agent can advise on any minor improvements that could improve your home’s appeal.
Rooms that are looking tired and out of date can be transformed with a coat of paint – in a light, neutral colour – for relatively little time or money. It’s also worth patching up any marks that are obvious and getting your garden into good order, especially at the front for maximum kerb appeal. Your estate agent will be able to advise you on any cosmetic work that they think will help, so make sure you take advantage of their experience and knowledge.
Giving your home a thorough clean and tidy for when the estate agent photographer comes round is a must. Hide any clutter and fully open any curtains and blinds so that each room is getting the maximum amount of natural light and looks as spacious as possible. You might also want to avoid having personal items such as family photos on display.
You may not need to maintain that level of cleanliness and tidiness throughout the viewing process – after all, you still need to live your life and you might be getting lots of viewers. Nevertheless, you should still make an effort to stay on top of any mess so that it’s a quick job to get your home to an acceptable standard ahead of any viewing. In particular, you should avoid leaving personal or private documents around for anyone to see.
Negotiating Offers
Negotiating Offers
Receiving an offer is exciting, but don’t rush to accept. If your home is attracting interest, you can negotiate a better price. Buyers may request reductions after surveys reveal issues, but you don’t have to agree if the price already accounts for necessary work.
Even once the price has been agreed, there may well be further negotiation and compromise to follow. Your buyer will almost certainly have a survey carried out that might reveal problems and issues that were not visible or obvious at the time of viewing – such as signs of damp, poor insulation, and the state of guttering.
As a result, they may ask for a reduction in the selling price to allow for sorting out such problems after completion. Of course, you don’t have to agree if you’ve already allowed for such work when setting the price in the first place.
Legal and Financial Considerations
Legal and Financial Considerations
A good conveyancing solicitor will guide you through the legal steps. You’ll need to complete a TA6 Property Information Form, disclosing details such as boundary disputes or flooding issues. Misleading information can lead to legal action.
- Factor in expenses such as:
- Estate agent and solicitor fees
- Mortgage repayments or new property costs
- Removal expenses
- Capital Gains Tax (if applicable)
You’ll also have plenty of expenses to take into account, so it’s important you bear this in mind when setting your selling price and working out how much the overall process will cost. For instance, you’ll need to pay:
- Estate agent fees
- Solicitor fees
- Paying off a mortgage or cost of new home
- Removal costs
- Capital Gains Tax (if applicable)
Final Steps After Sale
Final Steps After Sale
Once a completion date is set, ensure your home is cleared out and ready for the new owners to move in. Notify utility and service providers (gas, electricity, water, broadband, council tax, TV licence) and arrange for mail forwarding to your new address.
Why Choose Robert Ellis Estate Agents?
With branches in Beeston, Arnold, Stapleford, and Long Eaton, Robert Ellis has decades of experience helping homeowners sell in west and north Nottingham. Our expert team is on hand to guide you through every step of the process, ensuring a successful property sale.
Want to know more about how we can help sell your home?
Then pop into your local branch, give us a call or fill in our online form to ask for a free valuation.
