Selling Advice

Strategically selling your home!
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There are many common obstacles that can make selling your home a difficult task, however, often these can be overcome with a little bit of thought and effort, before you even start to market your property.

Cross & Prior will not only help you overcome these issues, we will help identify them in order to avoid any potential problems further down the line. To get you started, below are some points that you should give some consideration to, prior to marketing your home.

Choose the right agent Deciding the right time

It is important that you choose an agent who is positive and
knowledgeable, and will represent you and your home in a
correct and professional manner. The agent should also be
an active member of a Redress Scheme such as ‘The
  Property Ombudsman’ (TPO).
Whilst you invite agents to give a valuation of your property,
you should not be afraid to ask questions and it is often
advisable to prepare questions in advance, to ensure you
are fully informed when you make your decision.

Remember the best agent isn’t the agent that offers you the
lowest fee or gives the highest valuation - as often agents
will go in high or offer a low fee, if they are not confident in
the services they can offer.

Whether you are moving to be closer to a new school or your
family, relocating, or want a property upgrade, there is always
a reason behind your decision to sell. It is therefore essential
that you work out your time frames accordingly, allow enough
time not to put yourself under any pressure.
Although it is never an exact science, you should speak to
local agents to gauge roughly how long properties in your area
are taking to sell. However, you should also be wary as some
agents will mislead you in an attempt to make an impression.

Furthermore, it is sensible to keep an eye on the market as
this will help you form your own opinion. Cross & Prior will
always give you an honest assessment of the market and
you are welcome to pop in for an informal chat anytime.

Freehold or Leasehold Access is essential


Before you market your property you will need to confirm the
tenure status, this can be done by simply referring to the legal
documents were received when you purchased your home.
  Generally, there are different types such as Freehold,
Share of Freehold, Leasehold, or Shared Ownership.
If your property is freehold, it is usually more straightforward
when you are selling. Whereas if the property is leasehold
you will need to provide information about any charges you
are obliged to pay and the unexpired lease term.

The length of the remaining lease is very important as it will
have a major bearing on the value of the property. If required,
it is often advisable to extend the lease or even to buy the
freehold when selling in order to maximise the value.

There is not much point in trying to sell your home if it is very
restrictive for potential buyers to view it. Once the property
has been on the market you should make every effort to
accommodate all viewings, to make sure you do not miss out
on any interested buyers.
If you have pets you will need to think about what effect they
could have as some people may not necessarily be charmed
by a barking dog or a peacefully dozing cat, therefore try to
make arrangements accordingly.

If your property is tenanted you may want to give serious
consideration to whether you wish the tenants to remain, as
selling a tenanted property is not always easy to gain access
or could even affect the final price achieved.

Be Prepared Consider your future purchase


As you can expect anybody looking to buy your home will
naturally have queries about it and often the more they ask
the more interested in the property they are. To help answer
any questions, you should take the time to gather as much
information about your property as possible.
Having all information will enable the agent respond to any
enquiries that have been raised quickly and efficiently, and
will also increase your buyer’s confidence in the property,
ultimately resulting in your home selling faster.

You should put together all documents to do with the property
including guarantees, certificates and bills in advance as your
solicitor will ask for the lot, so you will be ready when an offer
comes in, ensuring as few delays as possible.

If you are planning to buy another property, research the
area you are interested in first to confirm you will have an
adequate budget for the desired property, before committing
to the sale of your home. Check out our Area Guide hopefully
it will give you the insight you are looking for.
You should also give some thought to the position you would
like to be in and whether you buy your new home at the same
time. You may wish to find temporary accommodation in order
to benefit from being a chain free purchaser.

We recommend, you should find out whether your current
mortgage has any early redemption penalties, and work out
what size mortgage you will need approximately for your new
home. A careful planning will help you to a smooth move!

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Choose the right agent	Deciding the right time
It is important that you choose an agent who is positive and knowledgeable, and will represent you and your home in a correct and professional manner. The agent should also be an active member of a Redress Scheme such as ‘The Property Ombudsman’ (TPO). Whilst you invite agents to give a valuation of your property, you should not be afraid to ask questions and it is often advisable to prepare questions in advance, to ensure you are fully informed when you make your decision. Remember the best agent isn’t the agent that offers you the lowest fee or gives the highest valuation - as often agents will go in high or offer a low fee, if they are not confident in the services they can offer.	Whether you are moving to be closer to a new school or your family, relocating, or want a property upgrade, there is always a reason behind your decision to sell. It is therefore essential that you work out your time frames accordingly, allow enough time not to put yourself under any pressure. Although it is never an exact science, you should speak to local agents to gauge roughly how long properties in your area are taking to sell. However, you should also be wary as some agents will mislead you in an attempt to make an impression. Furthermore, it is sensible to keep an eye on the market as this will help you form your own opinion. Cross & Prior will always give you an honest assessment of the market and you are welcome to pop in for an informal chat anytime.

Freehold or Leasehold	Access is essential
Before you market your property you will need to confirm the tenure status, this can be done by simply referring to the legal documents were received when you purchased your home. Generally, there are different types such as Freehold, Share of Freehold, Leasehold, or Shared Ownership. If your property is freehold, it is usually more straightforward when you are selling. Whereas if the property is leasehold you will need to provide information about any charges you are obliged to pay and the unexpired lease term. The length of the remaining lease is very important as it will have a major bearing on the value of the property. If required, it is often advisable to extend the lease or even to buy the freehold when selling in order to maximise the value.	There is not much point in trying to sell your home if it is very restrictive for potential buyers to view it. Once the property has been on the market you should make every effort to accommodate all viewings, to make sure you do not miss out on any interested buyers. If you have pets you will need to think about what effect they could have as some people may not necessarily be charmed by a barking dog or a peacefully dozing cat, therefore try to make arrangements accordingly. If your property is tenanted you may want to give serious consideration to whether you wish the tenants to remain, as selling a tenanted property is not always easy to gain access or could even affect the final price achieved.

Be Prepared	Consider your future purchase
As you can expect anybody looking to buy your home will naturally have queries about it and often the more they ask the more interested in the property they are. To help answer any questions, you should take the time to gather as much information about your property as possible. Having all information will enable the agent respond to any enquiries that have been raised quickly and efficiently, and will also increase your buyer’s confidence in the property, ultimately resulting in your home selling faster. You should put together all documents to do with the property including guarantees, certificates and bills in advance as your solicitor will ask for the lot, so you will be ready when an offer comes in, ensuring as few delays as possible.	If you are planning to buy another property, research the area you are interested in first to confirm you will have an adequate budget for the desired property, before committing to the sale of your home. Check out our Area Guide hopefully it will give you the insight you are looking for. You should also give some thought to the position you would like to be in and whether you buy your new home at the same time. You may wish to find temporary accommodation in order to benefit from being a chain free purchaser. We recommend, you should find out whether your current mortgage has any early redemption penalties, and work out what size mortgage you will need approximately for your new home. A careful planning will help you to a smooth move!