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You have decided to sell a property - But what next?

A maze of legal work, negotiations, dealing with surveyors, estate agents and solicitors combined with worrying about your deal falling through is enough to make anyone's hair stand on end.

Selling a property can be one of the most stressful processes that you will make in your life. It can be a lengthy and complicated business. Luckily, there is a lot of good advice around to help you make the selling experience as easy and problem-free as possible.

It is important to have a good understanding of the process, as it will help you to avoid some of the most common hazards of home buying.

Marketing your property

Obtain at least three valuations from Estate agents. Do not just go for the highest as some agents just price high to justify their high fees, once they have your business; they will look to reduce the price a couple of weeks later.

Ensure your chosen agent uses professionally taken photographs and produces a floor plan and attractive downloadable PDF brochure for every property. You only get one opportunity to make a great first impression.

Ask your agent to recommend an EPC surveyor who they know and trust. You will need to have the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) in place within 14 days of commencing marketing.

Ensure your property looks its absolute best for all visits. If you were selling a car, you would always wash it before a buyer arrives.

Your chosen agent should be uploading to all the major property websites. If they are not doing all of them, youíre chances of success are being compromised by their cost savings. Industry comments suggest that up to 95% of all buyers actually buy a property initiated from an online search and not a fleeting glance in a shop window, minutes before the pub opens.

Continually review your own property on websites to ensure that it remains competitive. If you were your buyer; would you buy your property or does another one look better?

If the phone stops ringing ask yourself the question ñ Do I need to reduce the price?

Ensure that you have a relationship of trust with your agent. You should be able to take honest advice about marketing and price without threatening to change agents. Most agents try their best to give correct pricing advice however markets change and always surprise.

Remember...There is no such thing as a property that wont sell, its a question of getting the price right.

Managing the sale

Once you have found your purchaser you will need to allocate some time to review and complete legal and mortgage paperwork. Please ensure that you get the legal paperwork to the buyers solicitor as soon as possible. Remember when you bought your property; you would have been concerned if the seller took weeks to answer your questions.

Agree a timescale framework at the earliest opportunity. If you, your buyer, your estate agent and the solicitors all aim for a target exchange date and a target completion date you are more likely to move. It is quoted that in 2009, 62% of purchases fell through due to the length of time between agreed sales and exchange of contracts.

Maintain constant contact with your Estate agent to obtain information. They are the only person who can quickly and efficiently contact all parties within the transaction. At OliverFinn we aid this function by providing all parties with a unique log-in so both you and your buyer can access details of appropriate telephone conversations and correspondence, 24/7 from anywhere in the world ñ No more leaving messages and wasted time.

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