If you own a buy-to-let property and want to sell it, you can either sell it as a tenanted investment or as a vacant property. If selling as vacant, you will have a larger potential pool of buyers as you won’t be restricted to just the investment buyers. Depending on the local market you may get a

Preparing to move out
The move will take a lot of preparation and one of the advantages of having time between exchange and completion is that you can finalise your moving arrangements now that you have a confirmed moving date. Don’t forget that you need to have vacated your property once the sale completes and completion will only occur

Contract Exchange
Once all parties are agreed there will be ‘Exchange of Contracts’ meaning that both parties are legally bound to the sale. In England and Wales, Exchange of Contracts is the last stage of the legal process after which you cannot pull out (without losing your deposit and any legal costs you may have incurred). Between

Ensuring the sale goes smoothly
At the same time as instructing your agent to market the property, we recommend that you organise a solicitor or conveyancer in advance to do the legal work for you so that they are ready to start as soon as you have accepted an offer. Their details will be included in the Memorandum of Sale

Negotiating Offers
Offers are an exciting part of the process and are normally part of a negotiation and often includes a couple of rounds of offers and counter-offers back before an agreement is made. The agent is legally obliged to pass all offers to you and send a written confirmation. If you have very specific criteria for

Handling Viewings
As your property goes on the market, make sure your property is prepared and speak to your agent to agree how and when you are able to do viewings. A full-service agent will normally offer accompanied viewings however some agents will offer the option of you undertaking the viewings yourself. Agree in advance any times that are

Marketing your property
In order to instruct your agent to market your property, you will need to provide some basic information to get the ball rolling. Your signature: Confirm the pricing and the service that the agent will provide you and then you will need to sign their terms of business. It is important to read them thoroughly

Preparing your Property
Once you have decided to put your property on the market and you have instructed your agent, you need to make sure you are ready for the marketing process. It is easy to think of the marketing process as just people visiting once or twice a week to have a look around and doing a

How to choose the right agent
The best agent for you is the agent that you are able to trust to guide you through the process. A few indicators of a good agent are: Industry qualifications and professional memberships These can include being members of or holding qualifications from: NAEA Propertymark naea.co.uk Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) rics.org The Guild of

Advantages of using an Estate Agent
It’s not necessary to use an agent to sell your property, you can do it privately, although most sellers choose to in order to ensure they attract the best range of potential buyers. Choosing an agent can be difficult as there are many different types operating in the UK. They range from agencies who offer