A realistic assessment of the value of your property is a very important first step. You will need the experience of a professional estate agent to discuss and assess its true value, thus we will provide you with a free, no obligation appraisal.
We will arrange an appointment to visit you at your property at a time and date convenient to yourself to discuss your specific needs, with the ultimate goal of achieving the best possible price. At our meeting we will take a detailed inspection of your property and take photographs and discuss market force and current demand.
Having established the value of your property and you have decided to go onto the market, you will need to decide on an agent to act for you.
Wentworth Estates are experienced agents have local property knowledge and a comprehensive marketing strategy and will work for you on a personal basis from instruction to completion. Wentworth will nurture the sale of your property, from instruction, through to viewings, and personally deal with all offers as well as sale progression to completion providing a personal service that differs from other agents and is second to none.
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rates the energy efficiency of a property and its carbon emissions. As of 6th April 2012, the EPC details should be displayed on all property particulars and it is now a legal requirement to provide an EPC for most properties in England and Wales.
You will need to decide who will do your conveyancing. Conveyancing is the term used to describe the legal process you must go through when buying or selling a home. Conveyancing can be done by a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer. Find out what their fees are, what other legal costs are involved and when these are payable. Wentworth Estates can recommend a solicitor if you do not have one.
The majority of purchasers now use internet property portals to search for a new home. With this in mind the initial visual image is crucial and increases interest. First impressions matter so the professional photography of your home to enhance its potential is imperative.
Preparing your home for the photography and floor plan could involve some re-arranging of furniture and advice on presentation and removal of personal effects may be called upon.
Wentworth Estates we use the following to advertise our client's properties:
To find the right buyer your property needs maximum exposure across a wide range of media. We offer a range of important marketing benefits which will aid in getting you the best possible price.
To raise the profile of your property we always recommend these following methods:
Erecting a For Sale board – This is one of the most effective ways to advertise and attract buyers to your property. They really do work and they advertise your property 24 hours every day.
E-mail – The world of technology now enables us to send your property all around the world with a simple click of a button.
Direct marketing – We will contact any prospective purchasers who are registered with us and inform them of your property within minutes of receiving your instructions. Any details will be sent via any methods of communication including emails and SMS alerts. Targeting a direct market of registers applicants ensures we don’t get time wasters.
Website and property portals – Our website is updated instantly and full details of your home will be placed as soon as details have been approved. In addition to advertising on our website, we also advertise in local press and through national property portals.
Wentworth Estates believe that flexible opening times are essential to maximise viewing opportunities for your home. We know that our customers need to work around their usual daily commitments, resulting in a large number of our clients viewing after work or at weekends. Accompanied viewings allow us to share our expert knowledge on your property to achieve competitive offers. The safety of our clients is paramount therefore we never allow prospective buyers to visit un-accompanied.
Wentworth Estates will discuss with you the most convenient times and days to present your property at your convenience and we will do our upmost to work within these guidelines when arranging viewings. Consideration needs to be given to your weekly patterns, parking, traffic levels, light levels and garden aspects. Wentworth Estates will go the extra mile for their clients and are often available seven days a week.
All offers will be reported both verbally and in writing and we will check all offers for their validity and ask for proof of funds. We will also conduct checks under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and Money Laundering Regulations 2003 and ensure that any mortgage offer is verified. In the case of multiple offers, we will advise you on the best course of action.
Any offer received on your property will be put to you in the first instance verbally followed up in writing within 24 hours. You will need to respond to said offer as promptly as possible. If the initial offer is rejected and the purchaser decides to increase their offer then the whole process will simply be repeated.
Wentworth will make every effort to qualify purchasers i.e. check status and ability to proceed with any offer made. We will ask for contact details of their solicitor/conveyancer, mortgage lender and any estate agent dealing with their current property sale.
You will need to instruct a solicitor/conveyancer to act for you in the sale of your property and it is at this stage that we will consider if it is prudent to stop showing your property to other prospective purchasers.
Wentworth will always make you aware of any chain implications and the likely timescale of any agreed transaction. We will liaise on your behalf with legal parties acting for both yourself and your buyer on a regular basis at least weekly but more if the situation demands, ensuring we keep you abreast of progress on a timely scale.
Before an offer is agreed we will check the buyer’s ability to purchase a property. We can also contact the buyer’s personal mortgage adviser to confirm their financial commitment. This minimises the risk of a purchase falling through.
At the point of a sale being agreed, we will liaise with both your solicitor and the buyer’s solicitor and prepare the memorandum of sale and we will write to all parties confirming the agreed details of the sale.
Remember that in England an offer is not legally binding, so until contracts have exchanged your buyer could change their minds without financial loss.
Sales progression or otherwise known as "deal chasing" is the real work that any good agent undertakes, however some agents leave this important service for others to do for them.
Holding a sale together up and down the chain can sometimes be straight forward and other times not so easy and needs constantly pushing to keep things progressing.
Wentworth Estates staff are trained to be proactive, constantly "chasing" all parties concerned, resolving any issues that can often result in the chain breaking. They will check that a mortgage offer is in place or a valuation has been undertaken and ensure that good communication is kept to so that you are aware at all times of the progress. Wentworth Estates will actively work on your sale and will contact you at least once a week.
At this stage both parties become legally committed to the sale, and if it falls through from this point onwards then the deposit is forfeited. Contracts are signed by both parties and the solicitor requests the buyer’s deposit. A completion date is set and agreed upon by both you and the purchaser. Unless agreed otherwise (e.g. a simultaneous exchange and completion) the completion date can be anything up to 28 days from the date of exchange.
Completion occurs when the balance of the monies are paid to the sellers solicitors.
Once the seller’s solicitors have confirmed receipt of funds, they will authorise Wentworth Estates to release the keys to the new buyer.
Before you leave remember to take meter readings and re-direct your post. We recommend you leave some notes for the new owner to explain how things work and where to find the essentials such as the boiler switch etc, they are sure to be appreciative.
Congratulations, your property is now sold!
To arrange for a “Free Valuation” or if you have any questions regarding the sale of your property you can call us on 0208 478 4786 or fill in the valuation request form and we will be happy to assist you further.
