Throughout this guide, we’ve armed you with plenty of great information on the process of selling your home. You should be much better placed now to ensure a smooth process, hopefully with a little less stress and hassle.
If you feel your question hasn’t been answered so far, take a look at the following FAQ section.
If you’re looking for a quick answer to some of the most popular questions sellers ask, take a look at the following FAQs:
Property prices vary at different times of the year, so it’s a difficult question to give a true answer to. In order to get an accurate reflection, take a look at similar properties for sale in your area. You should also consider getting an expert to value the property. Factors that affect value include: location, size, garden, number of bedrooms and whether the property has a garage or driveway.
You won’t necessarily need to hire a solicitor to sell your home, and can instead use a licensed conveyancer for the process. The legalities behind selling aren’t straightforward and although you can take some of the responsibility, other aspects require professional help.
Conveyancing is the branch of law associated with preparing paperwork for the transaction of a property. Both the property’s buyers and sellers will need to instruct conveyancers to act on their behalf.
The conveyancing process typically takes between six and eight weeks, although in some cases this can be longer. You should speak to your conveyancer regularly to check on the progress.
Conveyancing fees vary and you’ll need to speak to a few different companies to get a better idea of how much you’ll be charged. As such, you could be quoted anywhere between £500 and £1,500 for conveyancing fees. These will be taken straight from the property’s profit (if it has made one).
Again, estate agent fees vary among agencies. You’ll be charged a percentage of the value of your property and this could be anywhere between 1% and 3.5%.
All estate agents must belong to a regulatory scheme approved by the Office of Fair Trading. There are two to choose from: The Property Ombudsman and the Ombudsman Services. If an estate agent belongs to neither, they are breaking the law.
It is the seller’s responsibility to pay estate agents – taken as a commission against the property’s value. As such, the estate agent’s duty is with the vendor, not the buyer.
Estate agents are under no obligation to disclose other offers. They can reveal other offers received if they wish to, but the chances are this would be refused.
Before you start to market your home as ‘for sale’, you need to make sure you have organised a Home Report. Selling your house is a serious undertaking and a Home Report is designed to make sure you've gathered all the information that a potential buyer will need. Your estate agent or solicitor will be able to help you with this.
Yes, Home Reports apply for private sellers as well as those who are using an estate agent or solicitor. You will need to commission a chartered surveyor to help you with your Home Report.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in Scotland has confirmed that Home Reports will cost between £585 and £820. The cost will depend on the size of your home and the surveyor you decide to use. You should request quotes from a few surveyors to ensure you get a competitive price.
No, the Scottish Government has not specified a shelf life for Home Reports. If you think your Home Report should be updated at any point while marketing your property, you should discuss the options with your estate agent and chartered surveyor.
Your Home Report should not be older than 12-weeks-old when you start marketing your property for sale. If there is a delay longer than 12 weeks between the Home Report being finished and the marketing of the property starting, you will need to get your Home Report updated.
Yes, have a look at the Scottish Government website for more information
It's up to you. Talk to your estate agent/chartered surveyor to get their opinion and find out how much the repairs would cost. You need to weigh up the cost of the repairs against the price you are hoping to achieve for the property.
Yes, although there are a few exceptions. You (or your estate agent) do not have to supply a copy of your Home Report if you think the buyer:
