Time for a change?
If you are considering a change of location or changing the size of your property, or perhaps both then let us help you every step of the way. You may be considering whether to sell first or find somewhere to buy first, if so there are two steps you need to take; find out more about the value and demand for your existing property and also research the location you wish to move to. There is information about each of our office’s locations within our branch pages but there is no substitute for picking up the phone and hearing it from the people who know it best. We also have a nationwide valuation service where we can get a reputable independent agent from your area to contact you so don’t worry if you’re not currently in our coverage area. Our Complete Property Service will be available to you to assist with any property related needs you will have along the way.
To arrange your free valuation, whether local or otherwise, visit our valuation page or contact your local branch.
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STEP 1
Research by registering
If you are thinking that it is time to change locations and/or planning your last move it is essential you do the research about the area(s) you are considering moving to. If you register with us you can take advantage of our knowledge on the area, or other agents if it is outside of the Bradleys coverage.
The best way to get to know an area is to visit it but it may be that you haven’t pinpointed one location and you cannot visit all the areas you like. The internet is a great source of information and will assist you in finding out about the area but when it comes to property and matching requirements, there is no substitute for the knowledge of our staff.
Whether it is by telephone, email or in person, by registering your details and requirements we will be able to impart our knowledge to assist with you finding a suitable location and later on, hopefully a suitable property.
Contact one of our branches -
STEP 2
Get an accurate valuation
With any move you need to establish what you will be able to achieve for your property, not what you will ask for it but what you will end up with (hopefully they are one and the same). We can arrange this whether it’s in our area or further afield!
Having done this a few times, you will be aware of the benefits of obtaining a realistic valuation for your home. All too often people will base their move on an inflated valuation which can cause issues later in the process. It is advisable that you obtain 3 valuations, particularly if you have an unusual property. There is lots of information available online however, we will be aware of the latest demand for properties like yours and be able to consider that, along with previously achieved prices for similar properties. This ‘comparable evidence’ will be highlighted to you during the valuation to show you how we have reached our valuation. Beware of agents that do not show you how they reach their figure and there some estate agents that may deliberately try to ‘round upwards’ to make their valuation stand out against the others. This can be a dangerous trap to fall into because, on one hand you want as much as you can for your home, on the other, you never get a second chance to make a first impression and the longer a property remains for sale, the higher the chance that it either won’t sell or that you will have to reduce the price considerably to ensure it does!
To arrange a free and accurate valuation from Bradleys, click here and we will contact you to arrange a suitable time. Should your property be out of our office network area we can arrange for a local reputable independent estate agent to visit you.
Arrange a free and accurate valuation -
STEP 3
Check you have a valid EPC
Before you place your property up for sale it is law that you must have either commissioned or have an existing valid energy performance certificate (EPC). An EPC is valid for 10 years once created and were progressively introduced from 2007.
The principle underlying an EU Directive from 2007 and the regulations are to make energy efficiency of buildings transparent by using an energy performance certificate (EPC), to show the energy rating of a building, when sold or rented out and recommendations on how to improve energy efficiency. You can check if your property has a valid EPC by visiting www.epcregister.com or when you have an estate agent to value your home, they will be able to find this out for you. Should you require an EPC, you can arrange for one of our qualified Domestic Energy Assessors (DEA’s) to visit your home and produce one for you. This can then be used as many times as is required for a 10 year period. Should a property have any changes to the key areas that affect an energy rating it would be beneficial to get an updated certificate created to reflect the improved efficiency.
More guidance on this can be provided by our staff and if required, one of our many qualified DEA’s.
Request an EPC -
STEP 4
Marketing your property
Hopefully your research so far has been positive and you can now go ahead and get your property on to the market. At Bradleys, we will provide you with a choice of marketing packages to suit your needs and that show the property in its best light.
The quality of marketing can often be the difference between selling or not selling the property or perhaps the difference between achieving an acceptable price and a good price! Think about what attracts you to a property when you see one and also what you find useful. Floor plans are often deemed essential when looking at a property but for some reason not all estate agents use them or perhaps charge extra to have one. Good quality photographs are probably the most important aspect of marketing to ensure your property is noticed initially but if you really want to stand out from the rest of the market place then perhaps you should opt for a property video.
To find the right buyer, it is essential that your property is listed online. The two main portal websites to feature on are Rightmove and Zoopla, these provide more visitors and enquiries than any others. As a Bradleys customer, you’ll have the exclusive opportunity of a FREE second online listing with our Market Plus service from Homewise. This increases exposure, getting more interest for your property and improving your chances of finding the right buyer sooner. Homewise help people over 60 buy a property for a discounted price and pay the agreed market price to you like any other buyer.
We will tailor a marketing plan for each property we bring to the market and will explain the options at the appropriate time. We even have an option that includes your conveyancing.
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STEP 5
YOUR ONWARD PURCHASE
Relocating in retirement is a big decision, but we’re here to help. Not only will our team guide and support you as you sell your current property, but we’ll help as you consider your next home too!!
As you prepare to sell your current property, it’s inevitable to be thinking about your next home. The sale of your current property could affect your onward purchase; for instance, the sale price you achieve can impact your affordability.
With our Complete Property Service, you’ll have access to online guides and teams of experts who are on hand to answer any questions you may have and help support you as you make key decisions about your future.
Did you know, if you’re over sixty years old, you could save up to 59% on the price of your new home? Find out how you could benefit from the Home for Life Plan today.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HOME FOR LIFE PLAN -
STEP 6
Instructing a Conveyancer
It is becoming more important to get your conveyancing underway at an early stage. Bradleys Conveyancing offers a ‘no sale, no fee’ basis, so why wait?
The conveyancing process seems to be taking longer whether it’s due to the mortgage process being more detailed or perhaps the additional red tape that the law firms must be sure to comply with, probably a combination of both. To counteract this, we advise that you instruct a conveyancer at the moment you start marketing your property, complete all the paperwork they send and return it immediately. By doing so, your conveyancer can prepare all the form filling and documentation to form a draft contract ready to be sent across the moment a buyer is found, which will save valuable time in the sale process. With our conveyancing service there is also the ability to use an online case tracker so that you can keep an eye on the progress 24/7.
Some key aspects of our conveyancing service; we use firms local to our offices who will know the common issues that may arise in the surrounding area. Being able to contact your conveyancer is essential and so we ensure that you have access to the person you will be dealing with. We have established relationships with many local companies that we can instruct on your behalf. The advantage we also have is that we can see who has the capacity to ensure you receive the best service at any one time. To find out more you can visit our conveyancing page.
Talk to us about Conveyancing -
STEP 7
Receiving an Offer
When an offer is received we will provide you with the persons’ buying position and timescales as well as the all-important offer figure. Although you will make your own decision, please feel free to ask for our thoughts as we know what is happening in the market place at any one time. We will of course tell you whether we feel the buyer is likely to increase their offer.
When an offer is received it is now more important than ever to know that the potential buyer has been ‘qualified’. This can involve various checks on the buyer’s position to purchase your home. Rest assured, you are in safe hands with us as these are standard procedures that will take place before we will formally accept an offer on your behalf and mark the property as sale agreed.
The offer figure is important but also consider the timescales they are proposing and check whether that may fit in with your situation. We will provide you with the details but unless it is an obvious yes/no decision, take your time and digest what has been put forward. If your property has been on the market for longer than you would have hoped, it could be a good time to review what the market conditions are like currently and also consider the feedback you have been given from previous viewers before making a decision. If you feel it to be beneficial then we can always make arrangements to discuss this with you in person
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STEP 8
Sale agreed, what next?
Ensure you instruct your conveyancer to go ahead, if you haven’t already, by completing any paperwork and returning it as soon as you can and providing them with any necessary monies they require.
It is essential to make sure you get things moving and check the timescales you have discussed with your buyer with any other parties that are involved such as family, financial firms or similar. We will automatically include them in the sales memorandum to the buyer and both sets of law firms.
If you are not sure about any aspect of either your sale, make sure you ask the relevant person before you go any further.
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STEP 9
Keeping informed
We will work alongside the conveyancer to keep you and each other informed of each aspect of your sale. If you are unsure about any aspect of the process, simply ask the relevant person to explain it to you.
The reason you may have had a stressful move previously is likely to be due to a lack of communication. There are various parties all working away doing their job for their client and all too often they forget to actually communicate what they are doing or what the latest position is. We try to counter that by providing a case tracking service via our recommended law firms and also by contacting each party on a weekly basis (at least) to provide an update. At this stage we can review the dates that were agreed at the outset and check they are still on course to be achieved, or if required, revise the dates and communicate them to all parties involved.
Whether it is the conveyancer, mortgage adviser, estate agents in the chain, surveyor or even you/your partner that needs to be communicated to, we will try to keep it all moving in the right direction but all parties involved must do their bit too!
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STEP 10
Exchanging Contracts
You will have agreed on a moving date that suits all parties and signed contracts on your sale, so it’s time to legally bind the transactions and exchange the contracts.
Hopefully you will have experienced a hassle free transaction with very few, if any, delays on your sale and with all parties having been kept informed of developments throughout the transaction. We will have been liaising with all parties about completion dates and, as you may recall, a date must be agreed before an exchange of contracts can take place. Your conveyancer will call you before going ahead and exchanging to confirm you are happy to do so and confirm the date and then call you after exchange of contracts has taken place.
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STEP 11
Completion
Once your conveyancer has received the monies from your buyer for your home they will then inform us so that we can release the keys to your buyer.
On the day of completion your conveyancer will ring you to confirm they have sent the remainder of the house purchase monies to the sellers’ solicitor and that you should wait for a phone call from us (or the estate agent you are buying through) to confirm you are able to collect the keys. There is often a delay between the two events happening of an hour or so which is normal so don’t panic if you don’t hear immediately. Once the monies have been received, you have officially purchased your new home, congratulations! Usually you will collect the keys from the estate agents office but if you are unable to collect them in person then inform the estate agents beforehand of who will be collecting them and ensure that person has identification.
Congratulations!
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