Selling in Cheltenham
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Guide to Selling in Cheltenham

Isherwoods are Residential Estate Agents and Letting Agents in Cheltenham and surrounding Cotswold villages.

Step by step guide to the selling process

If you would like to discuss any aspect of the selling process please contact us

Accurate valuation

We will provide an expert valuation and back this up with as much evidence as we can obtain from the comparable sales and properties on the market. The decision on the sale price is vitally important and we will discuss this with you in detail.

Choose the right agent

Having received the valuation information you will need to consider who you trust to provide a professional service and to provide your property with maximum exposure.

Obtain a Home Information Pack (HIP)

Most properties need to have this in place before they are marketed. We can arrange this for you if required - click here for more details.

Market the property

We believe that we can provide your property with better exposure than any other Cheltenham estate agent - click here for more details.

Arrange viewings

All viewings are accompanied and we are always available for viewings in the evening and on Saturdays. Let us show the client around - most clients prefer viewings with an agent rather than the owner.

Receive offers & negotiate the best price possible

All offers received will be communicated both verbally and in writing. We will make every effort to negotiate offers up and our objective will always be to obtain the asking price if possible. We will always operate in line with the highest ethical standards.

Agree the sale

Once you have accepted an offer the following points will also need to be negotiated:

  • Details of what is included/excluded in/from the sale
  • Dates for buyer's and or mortgage lender's surveys
  • Target date for exchange of contracts
  • Target date for completion
  • We will help you through these negotiations

Instruct solicitors

Traditionally solicitors on both sides are instructed at this point and a sale memorandum is sent by us containing the sale price/what is included and the target dates agreed. It can make sense to instruct your solicitor at the same time as you instruct an estate agent in order that all documentation required can be assembled in advance of a sale being agreed (some of this is now included in the HIP). This can speed progress when a sale has been agreed.

Contract drafting

Once instructed your solicitor will prepare and send out a draft contract and the HIP for your property to the purchaser's solicitor who in turn carries out preliminary enquiries.

Your solicitor should arrange all the supporting paperwork (where applicable) ie: title deeds, copy of lease, fixtures and fittings list, seller's questionnaire, planning consent, guarantees, copy of building regulations and share of freehold certificate (most of this information should already be contained in the HIP).

Other information required

If you are a leaseholder (rather than a freeholder - e.g. most flat owners are leaseholders) we recommend that you forward copies of your service charge invoices/accounts for the last three years, any estimates for the forthcoming year and building insurance certificates to your solicitor when you instruct us to market your property. These will also be required for the HIP.

If you are not in a position to do this, then you will need your solicitor to obtain these documents from the management company (in which you may be a participant/shareholder) or managing agent.

Sale progression

The progress of sales can drag unnecessarily particularly if the solicitors are not communicating effectively. We can intervene to help with blockages or other problems and will keep in close contact with both sides in order to achieve this.

Exchange of contracts

When any necessary mortgage finance is in place and all contract detail has been agreed, the contract is signed by both parties and the deposit (usually 10% of the purchase price) is paid when the contracts are exchanged. The completion date is set at this stage.

Completion

Completion normally takes place within a short period of exchange of contracts but it can happen at the same time or can be delayed for a longer period - this is for the parties to agree. When the sale is completed the balance of the purchase price is paid and that completes the process!

If you would like to discuss any aspect of the selling process please contact us.