We have outlined below some helpful tips and checks for selling your home or investment property. Our Sellers Checklist will help guide you through the process, so you can plan for a speedy and smooth sale, manage the timescales and minimise risks or nasty surprises.

During the Marketing Phase:

• Sign agency contract and agree on the marketing plan, photos to be taken and approve your property brochure
• Arrange an ‘Energy Performance Certificate’ (EPC) if one is not already in place for your property
• Ensure your property is well presented for viewings
• Agree whether who will conduct viewings and whether your agent will need a key
• Arrange Mortgage ‘Agreement in Principle’ if you are also buying a further property
• Check with your current mortgage lender if notice is required on any existing product
• Appoint a solicitor to manage the conveyancing process
• For leasehold properties, you should also ensure you have the relevant documents to hand regarding the remaining length of the lease, annual ground rent, service charge information including recent year’s accounts, freehold certificates and contacts.

Once the Offer is Accepted:

• Inform your solicitor as soon as you receive an acceptable offer
• Ensure both you and your solicitor quickly receive a ‘Memorandum of Sale’ from your agent with details of the buyers, their deposit and whether they are also selling a property or in a chain
• Be clear on agreeing with your solicitor any fixtures and fitting be included with the sale, e.g. carpets, curtains or white goods
• Agree on ‘exchange of contracts’ and ‘completion’ target dates, ensuring both solicitors are made aware of these dates.
• Ensure a mortgage valuation or independent survey has been booked within 2 weeks and carried out within 4 weeks of the accepted offer date
• Manage the timescales on any forward purchase to ensure you are on target to exchange and complete on both your sale and purchase
• Book your removal company
• Arrange buildings/content insurance for any forward property purchase
• Exchange of contracts and deposits to be paid, which means you are now legally bound

After exchange of contracts:

• Finalise the date with removal company and arrange for packing boxes if required
• Start your packing
• Inform the utility companies and general suppliers (electricity, gas, water, cable, phone, TV licence) of your moving date
• Inform your buildings and contents insurers of the moving date and new address
• Inform any other insurers such as a car, healthcare, life cover etc of your move date and new address
• Inform the local council of your move date and new address
• Check with your buyers if they want to take over the phone line and/or phone number and arrange the same for the new property you are moving to
• Inform your bank, building societies, credit card, pension and financial companies of your new address
• Post Office – organise for your post to be re-directed from your completion date
• Cancel any deliveries such as paper or milk and settle and outstanding bills
• Schools, dentist, GPs, opticians, vets and other healthcare or education providers may need to be changed, or informed of your new address
• DVLA – inform them of your new address
• Employers to be informed of your new address and contact details
• Send out ‘change of address’ cards to friends and family
• Clear and clean the property ready for the new owners
• Freezers should be rundown and defrosted prior to the completion day
• Arrange for pets to be safely transported or cared for on the move day

Day of Completion or after move day:

• Final monies are paid to the seller’s solicitor, and on completion of the payments the keys can be released to the Estate Agents
• Read the meters and inform utility companies on the completion day