Sellers Guide

HOW MUCH IS YOUR PROPERTY WORTH?

The first step in selling your home is to get your property valued. A realistic assessment of the value of your property is an important first step to ensure you understand how you will finance your home move. Ideally, you would invite more than one estate agent to view the property to give you a good idea of the current achievable value of your property.

Crown House Estates is an independent estate agent who can offer you a personalised service. This includes the opportunity to reach out to a portfolio of interested investors within our database. This means you stand a very good chance of achieving the best possible price for your property.
We will be happy to provide you a free, no-obligation, property appraisal. 

We can meet you at your property at a time that best suit your needs. Our appointment with you would typically take between 30-60 mins and would include a detailed inspection of your property. At our meeting, we will discuss the specific needs relevant to your own situation, market forces and current demand, previous transactions in your street and activity levels with other property similar to your own. This information will help us advise you on the potential value range applicable to your property and anything you could do to enhance this value. We will advise you and recommend a marketing strategy that suits your particular objectives. Any questions or concerns you have can also be addressed at this meeting.

To book a free valuation, please submit a request here.  

GET YOUR PROPERTY READY FOR THE MARKET
When preparing your property for the market, try to ensure it is presented in the best possible light. Most buyers now use internet property portals to search for a home. Therefore, the visual imagery used with these listings are the first taste of your home a potential purchaser is likely to experience and this will be a huge influence whether they contact us to arrange a viewing. Fix anything that could impact on the final price, for example, give the property a lick of paint and tidy up the interior as much as possible. All of these things can make a huge difference to the final value of your property. Room dimensions and other details will be taken including a floorplan of the property will be drawn up.

CHOOSE YOUR ESTATE AGENT AND YOUR SOLICITOR
Of course, your choice of estate agent is important, and the factors to consider include their experience, their local insight, professional affiliations and their reputation. Here at Crown House Estates, our team have been selling property in London for many years and know the market very well. Most estate agents, including us, can make recommendations about solicitors. We have long-standing professional relationships with various solicitors who can help you take the stress away from what can seem to be an unfamiliar process. You may decide to use your own recommended professional and we would be just as happy to work with them.

PREPARE FOR VIEWINGS
With regular viewings, it will be important to ensure your property remains as presentable as possible. Avoid clutter, clean regularly and try to avoid unpleasant smells. Open windows, scented candles, fresh coffee and flowers can all make a huge difference to the ambience. If you’re present during the viewings, then try to offer an insight into the benefits of the property. Is it well located? Is the local community great? Is it warm in the winter? If there are negative aspects, try and put a positive but honest spin on them.

RECEIVING OFFERS
Your estate agent will keep you updated on the offers received from interested parties and put forward to you verbally at the first available opportunity, and then in writing within twenty-four hours. You will need to make a response to any offer. If the initial offer is rejected and the purchaser decides to increase their offer, the process will simply be repeated. If you receive competing offers, you can choose whichever one you prefer, you don’t have to go for the highest bidder. For example, you might find a family that you particularly liked, who makes you an offer instead of choosing a property developer.

If you want to make a quick sale then first-time buyers will have no chain, meaning you can usually complete the sale without waiting for anyone else. If there is a chain then we will inform you of the implications and the likely timescale of any agreed transaction. Due to the nature of the buying process, it is important to note and understand that any information provided by us concerning the transaction chain is not guaranteed and could change at any time. However, regular liaison will be made with legal parties acting on both you and your buyer’s behalf to ensure we can keep you abreast of progress on a timely basis.

ACCEPTING AN OFFER
Once you have accepted an offer, your estate agent will set the wheels in motion by contacting your solicitor. The buyer will also instruct their lender to value the property to finalise their mortgage offer unless they are a cash buyer. They may also commission a survey to be carried out on the property.

EXCHANGING CONTRACTS AND COMPLETION
Once everything is agreed, the contracts are exchanged on your behalf by a solicitor or conveyancer. This is when the sale of your home becomes legally binding and when you can be most certain that the sale will go through. At this point, you’ll also receive the preliminary deposit from the buyer which you would keep if they decided to pull out of the sale.

The completion date will be stated in the contracts and it will be your responsibility to ensure you have vacated the property by this date, including all of your belongings. Once the final monies have been received the new owners will be ready to move in.

Completion dates are normally on weekdays to allows banks and solicitors to be able to complete financial and legal transactions without hindrance.

OTHER MANDATARY REQUIRMENTS
EPC Certificate
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for a property is a legal requirement. We can arrange to have an EPC produced for you, quickly and without fuss – and at a very competitive rate!