how to sell a house

Part one: Should you sell?

There are many different reasons why people put their property on the market. Usually, it is to move up the housing ladder to a larger property to cater for a growing family. It could be a job move or family reasons such as death, divorce or separation - or it could simply be a matter of wanting a different lifestyle in another part of the country.

Part two: Estate agents

Over the past 25 years, the estate agency profession has been tarnished with a reputation of an industry staffed by well-intentioned people who don't do very much but charge an awfully high fee for the privilege. On the whole, this reputation is largely unfounded and in reality, could not be further from the truth.

Part three: Valuing your home and preparing it for sale

The first thing you need to know about determining a property's value is that it is not an exact science.

Part four: HIPs

It is estimated that a staggering £1 million per day is wasted on aborted property transactions. For years, the Government wrangled with ways to try and curb this problem and so the culmination of several years' consultation with estate agents, lawyers, surveyors and other property professionals resulted in the HIP, or Home Information Pack, which was introduced in 2007.

Part five: The viewing, and accepting an offer

Many estate agents offer a variety of client services including accompanied viewings. However, most people prefer to show people around their own homes because they feel they know them better than the agent.

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