How do you move? Selling your home in Scotland- A Useful Guide
27th of January, 2022
Would it surprise you to learn that homeowners in the UK move on average just once every 23 years? That might sound unbelievable given our national obsession with property, but keeping up to date with the value of our homes doesn’t mean we’re forever moving on.
Some people are selling a property for the first time, but even relatively seasoned sellers who move every 5-10 years can forget some details. Is it any wonder, then, that almost every homeowner I’ve met has so many questions?
I deal with people selling their home in our area every day, and knowing what to expect goes a long way towards a seamless move. So, if you’re wondering how to find a buyer sooner, exchange contracts faster or even pick the best estate agent for your property, read on for my step-by-step guide.
And if you know someone else who’s about to move, share this blog with them!
GETTING YOUR HOME VALUED
The first step in your move is finding out how much your home is likely to sell for. Although you might have seen others on the market, you’ll only know your true buying power for your next home when you have an accurate price for where you are now.
There are many agents out there, and you might be wondering where to start, so try these handy hints:
- Ask local friends & neighbours for recommendations
- Check out agents’ websites and social media channels
- Look at the quality of the marketing on their previously sold homes, are the photos of a professional standard with detailed floor plans provided?
- Read their reviews on Google and Facebook
It’s perfectly normal for agents to have different strategies around pricing techniques. Your options include fixed price, guide price, and offers over. Most homes around East Dunbartonshire and Stirlingshire go on the market as ‘offers over’. This can be confusing as it is usually a marketing price set below the Home Report (more on that later) to entice viewers to come and view, and doesn't necessarily reflect the price the owner is willing to accept.
However, there are occasions when a fixed price may be more appropriate. If you are working to a tight deadline, a fixed price tells buyers exactly how much they need to offer today to secure your property.
CHOOSING AN ESTATE AGENT
Moving home is a partnership between you and your agent. Aside from the nuts and bolts of how they market your home, don’t forget the human factor.
A good estate agent has many qualities, but someone with attention to detail and exceptional service standards will give you the greatest peace of mind.
One sign of excellence is someone who guarantees how often they’ll stay in touch with you. Another is making suggestions on showing your home at its best through decluttering, rearranging furniture, tidying up or a touch of DIY. Assistance with styling on the photoshoot day and attendance with the photographer ensures the photography captures the best features of your home.
To decide if an agent is as good as they sound, ask them to tell you about:
- homes they’ve sold similar to yours
- the quality of their marketing, including photos, plans and descriptions
- their selling strategy for finding the perfect buyer
- which property portals they use and why
- the length of their agency contract and notice period
- if your contact will carry out all the viewings for you, professionally
- how regularly they update you with feedback and advice
- whether the person valuing your home will still be your main point of contact
- whether they actively progress your sale after you accept an offer, playing an active part through the completion.
Then ask yourself this very simple question: do I want to work with them? If the first agents you meet don’t fill you with confidence, invite others in until you find one that does.
GETTING A HOME REPORT
If you decide to go ahead with selling your home, it’s a legal requirement to provide a Home Report for your property.
The Home Report is paid for by you and needs to be carried out be an independent surveyor. You can ask your estate agent to organise this, or you can arrange it yourself. A Home Report contains:
- a mortgage valuation that buyers can give to their lender
- a single survey with an assessment of the condition of your property including any repairs considered urgent or needing future attention
- an Energy Performance certificate on your home’s current energy efficiency along with any recommendations for improvements
- a Property Questionnaire completed by you with including information on any home alterations, specialist works or guarantees, previous issues and notices that may affect the sale
Attending to any urgent repairs and even minor cosmetic works can help you get a higher offer, sell faster and have a smoother sale.
Sometimes, the valuations of estate agents are different to the mortgage valuation in a Home Report. It’s very possible they could achieve a higher price for you, but every agent should provide examples of recent sales to support their advice.
Remember that your Home Report must be no more than 12 weeks old when you first put your property on the market, but provided your home remains on the market, there’s no limit to how long you can use it after that. When you accept an offer, if the Home Report is over 12 weeks old, it may require refreshed, this can be carried out by the original surveyor at a reduced fee.
BEING ON THE MARKET
Having found your agent and given them the go-ahead, they’ll be getting on with:
- arranging photographs & floorplans
- writing a description of your home
- confirming your identity in line with Money Laundering legislation
- creating your agency agreement
When all that’s in place, your home is ready to go live.
Your first month on the market is usually the busiest, and the first two weeks are crucial to a successful launch. Be prepared for lots of viewings and spotless living as your agent books in their registered buyers and the new enquiries from your online advert.
Depending on their strategy, your agent may advise launching with an open day or with individual viewings. These can be in the daytime, evenings and weekends, and it’s worth expecting the odd last-minute call. If we’re out on another viewing with a buyer who seems perfect for your home, we’ll want to get them in ASAP.
Although many homes sell in their first month, it’s not an exact science. But that initial hive of activity will tell you whether anything needs to be addressed. If you’re still getting plenty of enquiries, or if previous viewers want to return, perhaps with a partner who couldn’t make it the first time around, a sale could be just around the corner.
If things are quietening down, it’s time for a review with your agent. Look back at the comments from your viewings to see if there’s a familiar story, and remember to treat every negative remark as an opportunity to move forward.
For example: if your living room feels small, can you move or remove an item of furniture to create more space? And if it feels dark, can you expose more of the window or add a mirror to improve the light? By having these open and constructive conversations with your agent, you’ll keep the momentum going.
When one or more offers arrive, your agent should check the position of each buyer, including:
- proof of funds for the deposit or if they are buying cash
- in-principle offer from a lender if they are getting a mortgage
- talking to their agent if they have a home to sell
- checking out every link in the chain for its current status and potential snags
- asking if any other decision-makers need to see your home
- preferences or deadlines around a moving date
By having all this confirmed, you can accept the offer that’s right for you.
MOVING TOWARDS MOVING DAY
Delays in the conveyancing process can lead to sales falling through, but there are steps you can take to minimise that risk. The first is by instructing a solicitor as soon as your home goes on the market and retrieving your title deeds.
If you don’t already have a conveyancer, ask your friends, family or us for tried and tested recommendations. Whoever you choose should be approachable, easy to reach and open to contact from your estate agent throughout the process.
After agreeing a sale, it usually takes around 8-10 weeks to conclude missives (the point when you and your buyer are legally committed). Depending on how smoothly your sale progresses, you may have a period of time between concluding missives and the day you actually move (known as the Date of Entry), or both may happen on the same day. Your Solicitor will not conclude missives until you have any finance required fully in place and/or missives are concluded with the buyer or your current home, a delay to either of these may increase the time taken to conclude your purchase.
As you approach your moving date, start preparing for your change of address: the to-do list is probably bigger than you think. As well as ordering boxes and packing everything up, and in no particular order, it’s time to start contacting:
- van hire or removals company
- your regular day-to-day bank
- anywhere you have savings, investments or pensions
- gas, electricity and water suppliers
- service contracts on appliances
- home, car, life and other insurances
- local authorities for council tax and electoral role
- HMRC & accountants
- your employer or Companies House
- DVLA
- credit, store and loyalty cards
- internet, phone and tv providers
- magazine & newspaper subscriptions
- cinema, theatre & fitness memberships
- doctor and dentist
- schools, colleges and universities
And don’t forget your friends and family – phew!
Final words
Moving can be an eventful journey, but it’s also an exciting time. By knowing the process, working together with your agent and getting ahead of the paperwork, you’ll oil the wheels of a smooth and stress-free sale.
If you’re thinking of selling your home soon, I’d love to show you how I can help you find the perfect buyer. Call me on 01360 739 739 or send me a message at fiona@wrightsofcampsie.co.uk to talk about your plans.
We are a bespoke agency, uniquely providing a high-end personal service to our happy clients in and around our local areas of Kirkintilloch, Lenzie, Milton of Campsie, Lennoxtown, Torrance, Balmore, Strathblane, Milngavie, Balfron, Fintry, Killearn and up to Aberfoyle.