Selling Home Tips

To sell your own home you’ll need to:

• talk to your solicitor
• get a valuation on your house
• organise a HIP (Home Improvement Pack) - see below
• take photographs and write details
• advertise the property - think about getting a For Sale board
• arrange viewings
• keep in touch with potential buyers and chase feedback
• negotiate offer(s), subject to contract and survey
• liaise with solicitors

Selling your home: the viewing

• Tidy up before anyone comes to view.
• Have fresh flowers in the main rooms.
• Try to keep the place clean, or at least have a whip round with the hoover and a duster before anyone comes.
• Make sure any path or steps to the front door are brushed clear, and the door itself is clean.
• Check the doorbell - if it doesn’t work, get a new battery.
• Keep the lawn mowed and the garden tidy. If you have lots of toys, make sure they’re tidied away and not blocking a good view of the garden.
• If you have a dog or cat, remove any evidence of their activity in the garden.
• If parking is difficult, make sure there is room for your visitor to park even if you have to move your own car.
• Put on some fresh coffee

Home Improvement Packs (HIPS)

Since 14 December 2007, every home put on the market must have a Home Information Pack, with some exceptions.

The seller is responsible for the cost of a Home Information Pack. Copies of a property’s HIP are free to buyers, although a reasonable charge may be made for copying and postage.

What’s in a HIP
A HIP includes documents that are required when homes are bought and sold. Some documents are mandatory and others optional.

Mandatory documents:

• An index
• A sale statement summarising the terms of sale
• Evidence of title
• Standard searches (ie local authority enquiries and a drainage and water search)
• An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
• Commonhold information (where appropriate)
• A copy of the lease (where appropriate)

Optional documents include:

• A Home Condition Report (HCR)
• Additional leasehold, information
• Guarantees and warranties
• Other searches relevant to the particular area

Who compiles HIPs
If you’re selling your home privately or through an estate agent, you can ask an estate agent, solicitor or HIP provider to put the HIP together, or you can do it yourself.

For more information about HIPs go to www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk/consumer/

Safety tips for Sellers

• All communication between sellers and buyers is done through the HWD website, which means that all communication is anonymous unless and until either party wishes to disclose more detail.
• Always ask for the name, address and contact number from anyone interested in viewing your home, and make sure someone else is with you when a viewing takes place.
• The bottom line is - use your common sense. If you’re not sure about inviting someone to your home, then don’t.