Moving house can be a daunting and often stressful process. It’s not something most of us do many times in our lives, so the process can be unfamiliar.

Taking steps to prepare for the move and knowing what to expect can ease the process.  We’ve laid out the key steps below: 

Purchasing Guide

• We recommend you seek financial advice ahead of starting your property search to discuss funding options and if appropriate to determine levels of borrowing. It is a good idea to agree a mortgage in principle ahead of starting your search.
• Appoint a solicitor and seek advice on costs so this can be factored into your budget.
• Once you have found a property you will need to supply your estate agent with copies of your ID and proof of funding for standard money laundering checks.
• Your appointed solicitor will also request proof of ID and funds for the deposit payment.
• You may wish to appoint a surveyor. Depending on the age and condition of the property there are different levels of survey. You may wish to carry out a full Structural Survey on an older property rather than a basic Homebuyers Survey. If you are taking out a mortgage, the mortgage company will carry out their own mortgage valuation survey, separate to any surveyor you instruct.
• Your solicitor will review the contract and title documents received from the seller’s solicitor and request searches on the property you are purchasing. Searches will include local authority and environmental searches (flood risk, risk of subsidence, presence of radon gas etc), water and drainage and title deed searches.

• Your solicitor will raise enquiries with the seller’s solicitor.
• Once your solicitor has received your mortgage offer a financial statement will be prepared for you to sign.
• Following the searches, your solicitor will raise any further questions.
• You will be presented with a contract to sign (some solicitors prepare this in readiness much earlier in the purchase process).
• Dates are agreed between both parties for exchange and completion.
• Once all legal and financial matters are resolved, you and the seller will exchange contracts. This is when the sale becomes legally binding.
• At the point of exchange, a deposit of 10% of the purchase price will be sent by your solicitor to the seller’s solicitor.
• You will need to put building insurance in place on your purchase property from the date of exchange (so there may be a short period of time where you are insuring both the property you are selling and the one you are purchasing).
• On completion day the remaining funds are transferred to the seller’s solicitor (normally by lunchtime) and ownership of the property is transferred to you.
• Don’t forget to cancel services at your old address and set up services at your new home.
• The estate agent hands you the keys to your new home!

Selling Guide

• It’s s a good idea to choose a solicitor well in advance of putting your property on the market. We can advise on trusted solicitors and suggest you chose a local solicitor rather than a cheaper online conveyancer; the cheapest is not always the best.
• Ensure all necessary paperwork is up together on the property you are selling:

1. 1. Check your title register and plan to ensure all is in order – any issues, contact your solicitor. If you are unsure whether your home is registered you can check on the Land Registry website: gov.uk/search-property-information-land-registry
   2. Ensure you have copies of all planning consents and building regulations for any work you have carried out at the property. If you don’t have planning permission this will delay a sale so you need to decide in advance if you wish to apply for retrospective planning or consider taking out indemnity insurance against a possible future claim.
   3. If you have a septic tank at the property, ensure it meets current regulatory demands as this can also delay proceedings.
   4. Collate service histories for boilers/electrical services etc. and guarantees for damp and timber etc.
   5. If your property is leasehold you will need a copy of the lease together with details re. ground rent and maintenance charges and any restrictions listed within the lease.

• Once you have appointed an estate agent, you will need to supply proof of ID (passport/driving licence/utility bill) and sign a contract with the agent.
• The estate agent will charge a fee which will be a percentage of the sale price achieved so be sure to factor this into your budget.
• If you have chosen Murrays to represent you we will look at comparable properties in the area and discuss our suggested sale price for the property.
• We will ask you to complete a property information form to disclose issues such as neighbour disputes (even if the dispute is historic), boundary and structural issues, rights of way running over the property etc.
• We will set up a convenient time for a visit from our professional photographer and a separate visit to carry out the floorplan and EPC (Energy Performance Certificate).
• A full colour brochure will be collated and sent to you for approval prior to launch.
• Details of your home will be emailed to our database of contacts prior to launching the property on the online portals.
• We adopt a comprehensive marketing strategy including advertising in local magazines such as Cotswold Life and promoting properties across our social media platforms.
• Our team of trusted sales negotiators will visit the property to ensure they are familiar with the house and aware of all necessary information prior to viewings.

• We will liaise with you on any offers received and if multiple offers are received, advise on key considerations. The highest bid is not necessarily the best offer to accept as there are multiple factors to consider such as whether or not the purchaser has a property to sell themselves, the length of any chain and whether or not someone is a cash purchaser. The final decision as to which offer is accepted, is of course made by you, the seller.
• As soon as a sale is agreed you will need to contact your solicitor who will get in touch with the buyers’ solicitor.
• A notification of sale will be sent by the agent to both solicitors.
• Your solicitor will request information including ID checks, property details, lists of fixtures and fittings etc.
• Your solicitor will send a draft contract pack to the purchaser’s solicitor.
• Your solicitor will respond to enquiries raised by the buyer’s solicitor.
• Your solicitor will provide search results and information about the property.
• When both seller and buyer are happy, exchange and completion dates are agreed.
• On completion your solicitor will distribute the proceeds of sale to pay any outstanding charges such as mortgages and estate agents fees.
• Once all payments have been made, the keys will be released.

We truly care and always go the extra mile to ensure we understand the unique personal circumstances surrounding the sale of your home