Find the right estate agency for you.

Prices range from 0.5% (available online) to 1.5%. Most sellers decide that it is better to entrust the sale of their biggest investment to a professional, rather than attempting to learn about selling a house in a trial and error method. However some vendors feel that the benefits do not outwiegh the costs and prefer to sell their house themselves. The most successful home sellers are those who take an active role in the process, whether it is as a sale by owner or a sale by an estate agent.

Deciding whether to use an estate agency or not has a great deal to do with what you feel the level of your capabilities are. If you feel fully confident that you can handle all of the details you may well want to attempt selling your home on your own. If you have any doubt whether these may lie outside your expertise, you most likely will want to use an estate agency and leave the details to them.

What to look for in an estate agency:

• An understanding of your needs.
  
• A willingness to work with you until your needs are fulfilled.
  
• A sense of professionalism.
  
• A familiarity with the area in which you have an interest.
  
• A familiarity with the price range in which you have an interest.
  
• Strong references from previous buyers.
  
  

Possible questions to ask a prospective estate agent:

How long have you been in estate agency?
Are you a full time agent?
Are you familiar with the area in which we want to look?
How many home sales did you participate in last year?
What is the average sold price of the homes you sold last year?
Do you normally work with sellers or buyers?
How many buyers are you presently working with?
How many sellers?

Ask friends or relatives about their experiences with specific estate agents, both good and bad. Was the estate agent easy to work with? Did they felt that the estate agent was responsive to and met their needs? Would they use the estate agent again?

If you decide to sell your home with an estate agent, they will be able to acquaint you with all of the fine points of offers, contracts, and negotiation.

The estate agent will value the house. You may wish to obtain two or three valuations and decide which is most appropriate for you.

You will need to find a solicitor who has expertise in conveyancing. This can cost upwards of £3,000 their fees include:

• Charges for sale - approx £500 plus vat
  
• Charges for purchase - approx £500 plus vat
  
• Local search fees - approx £100
  
• Land registration fees - approx £200
  
• Stamp duty - % of the purchase price of the house you are buying
  
• 0% £0 - £60,000 1% £60,001 - £250,000 3% £250,001 - £500,000 4% £500,001 +
  
• Land charge search fees - approx £10
  
• Mining search (if applicable) - approx £17
  
• Mortgage Administration Fee - approx £100 plus vat may be payable.