Handy Hints For Selling Your Home

Selling your home can be confusing especially if you have never sold a property before or don’t have any legal knowledge. Below we have outlined some handy information about the selling process as well as definitions of some legal terms and contracts involved with selling your home.

It might be worth getting multiple estate agents to value your home as different agents might have different prices that they would market it. They might also have different ways or working to advertise your property. In Scotland, you can advertise your property as ‘offers over’ or ‘around a certain amount or at a fixed price. If you advertise your home as ‘offers over’ or ‘offers around’ you should set a closing date by which you want to receive all bids.

Getting potential buyers to view your property.

When you are selling your property the most important thing you need to do is make sure your home is welcoming for potential buyers. Below we have listed some things that you can do to make sure your home is more appealing to potential buyers.

The old saying never judge a book by its cover unfortunately does not apply when it comes to . The first impression of your property when a buyer pulls up outside will determine whether they want to see the rest of the property or not. It is always good to make sure your garden is tidy and that any wheelie bins outside are not overflowing.

This one sounds a bit strange but hear us out. Buyers are more likely to buy a home is the home smells nice. Some of the best smells are fresh coffee, home baking or bread. If your home smells bad then it is unlikely a buyer will want to buy it, therefore lighting a candle or two or brewing some fresh coffee before the buyer arrives will work in your favour when it comes to selling your house.

The atmosphere in your home is another big selling point. Buyers will notice the little things around your home so you could put fresh flowers in the hall as they enter your property or a welcoming fire then it will make your home feel so much more homely. Stuffy environments with washing piled high or smelly mouldy boots at the door might put some buyers off buying your home.

When someone comes to view your home they want to imagine themselves living in it. While your house should be tidy for potential buyers coming to view it should be too clinical, it will be harder for viewers to imagine living in your home if there are no personal touches. Personal touches could include matching duvet sets, scatter cushions or having family photos and trinkets on display.

Not everyone who comes to visit your home will be pet owners and your pet might not like every person who comes to view your property. It might make viewings easier if your pet dog has gone a walk with your kids or your cat is in his/her favourite snug for the duration of the viewing. You should also make sure that feeding bowls and any litter trays are clean before the viewing starts.

It might be a good idea to make sure you know about the local area, for example local series for people who might have children or services and groups for the elderly. It would also be handy to know more about school catchment areas as well as the travel distances to local cities or attractions. This way the viewers have as much information as they need about your home and the surrounding area. Your buyer might not be someone local and might not know anything about the area.

It can be quite nerve racking trying to sell your home especially if it is the first time you have done it before. Allow the viewers to take their time and have a look around the property on their own so that they can get a chance to chat about it. Make sure you are around to answer any questions that the viewers may have. Do not worry, it is likely that the people coming to view your home are nervous too, just make sure that your home is warm and inviting and you will have no problems will selling your property.

You have got the viewers through the door of your property and one potentially more have made you an offer so what happens next? Your solicitor will be able to talk you through what happens next but we have included some helpful tips about what is in store for you after you have received an offer.

The missives are the one of the most important part of selling your property. These are a set of letters from your solicitor to the buyers solicitor negotiating the conditions that both you and the buyer have.

The sale of your property is completed when the date of entry agreed in the contract or the missives. The buyer should have paid the full purchase price and you should have given them the keys or left them with your solicitor and moved all your belongings out.

As well as the missives the disposition is the most important part of selling your home. The disposition is written up by the buyers solicitor and is a legal document which transfers ownership of the home from you to the buyer. The disposition not only gives the new buyer ownership of the whole grounds described but also any other buildings, woods, water and fishing rights and any other property such as mineral rights and airspace.

Once the disposition has been written up your solicitor should check it and make sure it is right before agreeing to it.

The ownership of the property is not passed to the buyer until the disposition is registered in the Register of Sasines or Land Register of Scotland.

You will officially have sold your home and no longer be owners when the disposition has been registered up until that point even though the missives have been agreed you are still the owner of the land.