How to sell your first property

FIRST TIME SELLERS… IF YOU’RE NERVOUS, WE HAVE THE ANSWER. 
GET YOURSELF A POWER TEAM.

Fist Time Buyers (FTB) get a lot of press…it’s brave, it’s exciting, it’s full of forthcoming help and advice and, at the end of it, you end up with your first home! Fast forward 7 years and it’s time to get a move on up the property ladder…. But do you remember what to do? Do you know how to be a First Time Seller?

Unlike for first time buyers, there seems to be a lack of available education on the process to help those first-time sellers navigate both buying and selling for the first time.

As soon as you think you’re ready to start the process… get yourself a Trustworthy Power Team around you to help streamline the process and minimise your stress levels.

• Mortgage Broker
•  Estate Agent
•  Solicitor

First things first, let’s start with a Mortgage Broker – you need them to work out how much you can borrow and whether moving is actually viable. It’s fine to speak with your current mortgage lender but going with a broker who has access to hundreds of lenders is like using a comparison site for your car insurance.  Everyone’s situation is different when it comes to getting paid, and someone like Partners Financial Services can make sure you are using a lender that will suit your individual needs, and be there to chase up lenders, and deal with any paperwork issues that arise all on your behalf.

You’re going to need an Estate Agent to sell your house for you… and this is one of the most important ones to get right, so there are a few points to break down here!

• They don’t just value the house, plonk it one Rightmove, and show people round. (well… sadly that’s about the extent to which some work!) Before you invite a couple of Estate Agents out to give you an appraisal of your house, do your own research – what are other similar properties selling for, what are other similar properties not selling for? Does the agent show you comparable properties to justify the value or are they bamboozling you with paperwork and promising the world?
• Choose someone you feel comfortable with, who has your best interest at heart, someone who will showcase your home in the best possible way, and someone who will personally be there and accountable for you every step of the way. Someone on hand to jargon bust and guide you on solicitors’ paperwork, and someone straight talking and approachable.
• When it comes to fees… as with most things in life the cheapest option is rarely the best option. Your home is likely the most expensive thing you have ever sold and paying that little bit extra for peace of mind will be priceless throughout the process. What brand of baked beans do you buy…? If the answer is Heinz as opposed to supermarket-own-brand for a fraction of the cost, you already understand this logic!
• When it comes to viewings… make sure the person showing people round your home knows everything there is to know about it. As opposed to the new trainee, or the Saturday worker given 20 sets of keys and a run of appointments from 9-5 each weekend. And feedback from viewings – there is no reason that shouldn’t be given immediately! A quick Whatsapp or voice note with how it went, rather than waiting for the agent to call the buyer at 930 the next morning and reporting back to you with a voicemail… asking for a call back.
• So that’s Mortgage and Estate Agent sorted… time for a solicitor to facilitate the legal side of the move. Local. Local. Local. Big online conveyancing firms, or panelled conveyancers based up North, from 10 years personal experience, are unlikely to be the most receptive to calls, answering your questions and emails, and generally making you feel like they are earning the money you are paying them. It’s much easier to pop into your solicitors office to go through the contracts with them face to face, or to have them on the doorstep to hand deliver documents if time is of the essence! (Choose the right estate agent and they will do xtheir fair share of rallying around on your behalf as well).

The same rule of fees applies here… go budget and receive a budget service.

Ultimately, you’re going to need a fair amount of guidance and reassurance along the way in this journey, so make sure you build your Power Team of people who have your best interests at heart, not theirs.

Ellen Deverell

Partner