If you currently own a property then you are not as new to the buying process as the typical first time buyer, however its easy to get lost in the process and requirements when you are moving home, especially when you need to sell yours first.
Get your property valued
Even if you are planning on marketing the property yourself it is important to get an accurate valuation of the property from a professional. Most estate agents will differ slightly on the value any given property so ensure you get several valuations before proceeding. In addition to this use data that is available to you such as the recent sold prices on Zoopla.co.uk. If you are planning on moving to a new build home and using one of the builder’s incentive schemes such as part exchange it is important to know the value of your property before proceeding.
Compare Estate Agent Services
Compare the services, and of course fees offered by your local estate agents and of course, internet only estate agents which are often cheaper. Things to take into consideration are the cost of the services, any commission, cost of the estate agent conducting the viewings and of course whether or not your property will be listed on online portals such as RightMove, Zoopla and Prime Location.
Get Mortgage Advice
Just like the first time you bought a property, getting impartial mortgage advice from a mortgage broker would be recommended. This will give you an accurate picture of what you can afford when it comes to buying a new property and of course, what your monthly repayments and any potential savings will be.
Energy Performance Certificates
You are legally required to get an Energy Performance Certificate for your property before it goes on the market. This is an assessment of the energy performance and the environmental impact of your property which is measured on a scale from A to G. You will be given recommendations which would improve the energy performance of your property and the estimated costs and potential savings which can be made by doing so. The inspection is relatively non-invasive and you do not need to follow any of the recommendations in the report before putting your property on the market. The assessment must be made by an accredited assessor and cost approximately £40 depending on the size of the property. You can order one from sites such as energyperformancecertificates.co.uk.
Prepare for Viewings
One of the easiest ways of getting lots of viewings done in a small space of time is by hosting an open house event but of course lots of families in the property over an afternoon may make the property appear smaller than it is. If you can start packing your personal items in preparation for the move and store larger items of non essential furniture and rearrange your furniture to maximise space and light.
