This site has tips about selling property. If you are going to have to market your property through an estate agent or by using private or internet advertising you will have to Arrange a Home Information Pack.
The HIP consists of documents such as searches that have long been familiar to solicitors, so why get someone else to do it, who might get it wrong? We can do it for you. Very often arranging a HIP is not difficult or complicated, but without legal knowledge, unqualified HIP companies are less likely to spot the cases where it isn't straightforward.
The site has been provided by Richard Webster & Co, a firm of Conveyancing Solicitors in Eastleigh, Hampshire.
Scroll down this page for tips on choosing an agent, or go to the page on how to sell your house without using an agent. You may even want to Contact Us for more information or see our tips on How to Choose a Conveyancing Solicitor or to get a quote from us.
The Tips:
Cheapest isn't always best. When you are selling, you want the best price, but more importantly, you want the transaction to go through as quickly as possible! If they offer a cheap deal, they may not necessarily be able to make sure it all goes through properly.
Don't tell them how much you want for your property. They are the experts. Ask them to give you a suggested asking price and a likely selling price, and then why they have arrived at those figures.
What are they going to be like in checking the buyer's ability to proceed? Once you have somebody making an offer, the person may not be able to get a mortgage, but this only comes to light several weeks later. What sort of checks do they make when advising you about the offer?
What do they do to check the chain above and below you? Do they insist on up to date details from other people, or rely upon third-hand out of date information?
Are there several people in their office who can talk intelligently about your transaction?
Do they pressure you into signing a sole agency agreement for a long period? There's nothing wrong with a sole agency agreement as such, but one that gives sole-selling rights is to be avoided. However, if they are confident of selling your house quickly, why should they want to tie you up to an agreement for a long time? Be suspicious of anything more than 6-8 weeks.
Do they offer you a "free" Home Information Pack, which could mean their commission will be higher than otherwise, and will make it expensive for you later to change estate agents, as they will then want you to pay for the HIP at that point.
Do they pressure you into having them arrange the mortgage on any related purchase, or to use "their" solicitor for your conveyancing?
If you are thinking of changing estate agents you can fall into a trap where you end up being liable for two sets of commission when you sell, so it is important to take legal advice before instructing a new agent. If you do not have a solicitor already acting for you, you may wish to Contact Us for advice in this respect. There is also the point above about getting charged for what you thought was a "free" Home Information Pack.
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