10 steps to selling your first home in England and Wales

Whether it’s your first time preparing for the sale of your property or you’ve already sold several properties, you’re in the right place.

In this guide, we’ll give you step-by-step and easy-to-follow advice on what to do, when.

Your 10-step guide to selling a property

1. Deciding to sell

Before anything else can happen, you, of course, need to decide that you want to sell. Maybe you would like to move to a different neighbourhood or city, or perhaps you’re looking to downsize, or need a larger space. Part of this decision is figuring out your finances, for example, understanding what you would like to sell for and how much your property is worth.

Or, perhaps you’ve come to realise that you’re not ready to sell just yet and need an alternative, in which case letting your property out may be your perfect solution.

2. Declutter all spaces and tidy up

Once you’ve decided to put your property up for sale, this is where the exciting part starts. It’s time to “Marie Kondo” your life - in other words, do a big spring-clean. Sort out old clothes and give away those items that you think you’ll need one day, but still haven’t used. The aim of all this is to make it as easy as possible for any potential buyers to envision themselves living there. Decluttering and, where you can, depersonalising the space is a great place to start.

Additionally, fix anything that’s broken and, if you have the chance, repaint areas that need a bit more attention. Not only will this make your home look great from the inside, a fresh lick of paint on the outside and fixing minor outdoor issues can also improve your kerb appeal and increase the value of your home. Remember, first impressions count.

Our expert advice: Keep it light and bright. If you have small rooms, add mirrors to make a space seem larger and (re)paint the wall with a light, neutral colour for that fresh look. Don’t forget to replace any broken light bulbs too.

3. Ensure that each space is defined

If, for example, you have an open-plan kitchen and living space, creating a defined living, dining or kitchen area will help show off your home’s potential. Or, if your spare room has, over time, turned into a storage room, turn it (back) into an office space or second bedroom to help ensure that each room or space has a distinctive use.

4. Choose an estate agent to sell your property

To ensure your sale runs smoothly, choose an estate agent who understands your needs and can offer you the best advice and pricing strategy for your local area. Additionally, you may want to ask for your agent’s advice on whether there are any other improvements you can make to help you sell. By working with an excellent agent, they will be able to help you sell at the right price.

This is also a good time to hire a property lawyer. Your estate agent can recommend one if you don't already have one in mind.

5. Prepare your marketing

To get your property listed, there are a few bits of paperwork that need to be completed, including ensuring you have an up-to-date Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). Note that every seller must be able to provide an EPC to potential buyers.

Whilst you’re ensuring you have all the right paperwork, your estate agent will help you market your property and get it in front of as many potential buyers as possible, by taking property photos, creating a property description and floor plan.

6. Organise viewings

Together with your estate agent, conduct viewings at a time that’s suitable for you. Your agent will also keep you up-to-date with feedback on how your property is doing, as well as what’s happening in your local market.

To make sure that every viewing goes well, take a few minutes before potential buyers arrive to do a quick tidy and clean up of your home. You might also find that lighting a mildly scented candle or diffuser can help create a welcoming environment and gain some brownie points with every new viewer.

7. Receive an offer

To smoothen out the entire process, your estate agent will collate all offers and negotiate the best price on your behalf. There is no need to accept or reject an offer straight away, it is perfectly normal to think things over for a day or two.

8. Offer accepted, exchange and completion

When you’ve found the right buyer and accepted their offer, the property lawyers get to work. The buyer’s property lawyer will complete conveyancing searches, sometimes also called property searches, to find out more about your property. This could include environmental checks, access rights, whether your property has planning permission, and/or the quality of the ground on which your property stands. In addition, the buyer may request a survey to be done, all of which may take a few days or a few weeks, as it depends on how the searches are managed.

Once all of this is complete and the buyer is happy with the search results, a completion date will be selected that suits both you and the buyer. Contracts will be signed and your sale is progressed to completion.

9. Removals

Now, with everything signed and completed, it’s time to arrange for removals. Read our tips on how to avoid the most common moving mistakes here.

10. Congratulations

You’ve officially and successfully sold!

Everyone’s property journey is different, and these steps could vary slightly for you. If you have any questions, or need any assistance with your property sale or search, our friendly branch staff can help.

Questions every first time seller should ask

You might find that you still have some questions, and for this, we’ve collated some of the most frequently asked questions and answered them below:

• Who do I notify when selling a house?
  When selling a property that has a mortgage attached to it, you will need to contact your mortgage lender and let them know that you intend to sell your home.
• Do I have to inform HMRC when I sell my house?
  Yes, you must inform HMRC of your sale and report any capital gains you make on the sale of your property to HMRC, as well as pay any tax that may be due.
• Could I sell my house without an estate agent?
  You can list and sell your property without an agent; however, we strongly recommend using an agent’s expertise to ensure that your sale runs smoothly.
• Do I need a solicitor to sell my house?
  You do not need to instruct a solicitor to sell your home, however, to ensure that all legal aspects are covered, we recommend that you hire a solicitor or, alternatively, a licensed conveyancer. In this way, you can ensure that all queries relating to the property, the documentation of the sale and completion will be completed correctly and, often, in a faster and more dependable way.
• Do I pay tax when I sell my house in the UK?
  If you’ve made a profit from the sale of your property, you will have to declare this to HMRC. This is called capital gains tax and must be reported to the UK Government within 60 days. There are exemptions, where you may get tax relief, for example, if a dependent relative occupied the property or if the property was a business asset. For more information on exemptions, see the gov.uk website.
• Do I need a gas and electrical certificate to sell my house?
  There is no legal obligation to sell a property with a gas or electrical certificate. However, if you have rewired your home or made any other significant changes to the electrics, you are legally required to have an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC). An EIC is different to an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), which also isn’t a legal requirement, but could help speed up your selling process. As for gas certificates, you’re also not legally required to have one to sell, however, if the property has a gas boiler, you will have received a certificate when you last serviced your boiler.