Selling your home can be a scary prospect. There are lots of stakeholders involved, difficult decisions to be made and it takes time. So we’ve created a checklist of how to sell your home and a few reasons why you should do it on Zump.
1. Check your finances
The first step when selling your home is to get an accurate valuation. Create your property profile with Zump and request a virtual or in person valuation.
Next, you’ll need to check your mortgage to see how much is left to pay off and explore any opportunities to remortgage or port your current one.
Legal fees, removals, and mortgage fees all add ups. So spending time now working out how much it is going to cost to move is a very good way to avoid any surprises. Check out this article for a full breakdown of all the costs associated with selling your home.
2. Decide your sale value
This is one of the most difficult decisions, too low and you could lose tens of thousands of pounds, too high and you could be stuck without any offers, or worse, the ones you get will fall through wasting time.
Rightmove has plenty of data when it comes to buying and selling homes. They’ve learned that a seller is twice as likely to find a buyer for their home if they have the correct asking price.
Get valuations from multiple agents and online tools. Agents' valuations will differ and some may be inflated so make sure you do your own research to find a price that you’re happy with.
3. Choose how to sell
When selling with Zump you can choose to sell your property yourself or work with one of our partner agents.
Sell your property yourself
Until now the only way to sell your house was through an agent. They held the keys to the portals and there wasn’t a good alternative.
Selling a property yourself is a new, and for some, a strange concept. Zump gives you the platform, tools, and freedom to take control of the selling process. Receive interest and market your property yourself. Your property advisor will be able to advise you on everything that needs to be done.
With agents making up the majority of costs associated with selling a property you can save yourself thousands of pounds doing it yourself. However, it does depend on how much time you have. Agents do this day in and day out and know the processes involved which can seem overwhelming and complex to a relative property novice.
Sell with a Recommended Agent
When working with one of our recommended agents there are two main added benefits. They will conduct a full market appraisal (valuation, research, possible selling price, and associated fees) and they will market your home on the major property portals.
This will reach a wider audience but may not guarantee you a better price. If you’ve already received interest from people on Zump they may be more motivated
4. Prep your home for sale
“Staging” your home will make it stand out to buyers and might make it more valuable too. Here’s a full list to get your house sale ready but you’ll need to clean the whole house, tidy up unnecessary clutter, and fix the little things.
5. Legal Support
You must hire a solicitor to handle the legal work involved in selling and buying a property. Solicitors will help with searches and raising enquiries. We have written an article about solicitors to help you understand what they do and how to choose the right one.
Just as you would with an estate agent or mortgage broker, compare quotes and look at reviews. Online firms and local firms will have big differences so do your research!
We have worked with some great local solicitors which you can find in our Pro’s section.
It is best to choose a solicitor before making or accepting an offer so you can understand their costs. To get ahead of the game fill out all relevant forms too and consider what you will add to your will.
6. Receiving Offers.
On Zump you can show where you are in your selling journey and receive interest from other users at any point. When you accept a ‘Zump’ you can organise viewings and receive offers from the buyer.
Accepting an offer is not legally binding. So, if you need any help making this decision, change your mind, or if you wish to try for a higher offer. Please do not hesitate to contact your Zump advisor. Or if you’re using an agent they will handle this process for you.
When accepting an offer don’t just look at the price, think about the buyer. If a buyer has a large chain it can make the process more difficult and risky than someone who has no chain. Do they have their mortgage in principle and deposit ready? There is a lot more to consider than just the offer itself.
Receiving offers can be overwhelming and there’s a lot to consider when deciding which is right for you. The price, timeline, chain, and personal circumstances all need to be reviewed carefully. We are happy to answer any questions and give you guidance when it is needed.
7. Negotiate contracts
Once you have selected an offer the negotiations will begin. Between you and the buyer you will decide the following:
What fixtures and fittings will be included in the sale/purchase
Any change of price or work to be carried out due to survey results.
And the length of time between exchange and completion (usually this is 7 days)
8. Exchange contracts
When you exchange contracts you are legally committed to selling the property. If after this you have to pull out of the sale without a sound reason you can be sued.
At this point, your deposit will be paid. Mortgage funds will be requested and the land registry will be notified.
Now is a good time to begin changing your utilities and speaking to your banks about your change of address. And don’t forget to purchase home insurance!
9. Completion
Completions normally happen at lunch time on the day you previously agreed. The money and any deeds are transferred.
10. Key collection
When selling with Zump you will have been in contact with your buyers so if you are happy you can hand over the keys. If you have chosen to work with an advisor or recommended agent then they can take care of the handover for you.
11. Moving
Book removals in advance! Some lovely removal agents might discount your price if you book it in advance. Some not so lovely ones might charge more if you need them the next day.
Check our Pro’s area for recommended movers near you.
12. Fees
When your house is completed you’ll need to pay all relevant fees. This can include your mortgage fee, solicitors fee, and Zumps fees.
A quick guide on how to sell your house
So, here is our very quick no fuss added step by step home buying process is
Find an age
Market home
Instruct a solicitor
Accept an offer
Searches will be carried out and enquiries raised
Draft contract received and signed by sellers & buyers
Contracts exchanged, deposits paid and a completion date set.
Stamp duty paid, land registry notified and keys are handed over.
Enjoy your new home/say goodbye to your old one.
We have more information on solicitors, mortgages, preparing your home, and many other helpful articles all linked here.