Start the search for your new home

Never presume that people can see past clutter or décor. You should firstly try to declutter, then try to assess your home with a critical eye. What areas might need freshening up or re-decorating to neutral colours? Remember that buyers will likely want to open cupboards and wardrobes so now could be a good time for a deep clean. You should also make sure that you do not have too much furniture in a room, this can make a space feel smaller than it is. Don’t forget the gardens and exterior – kerb appeal is very important!

Of course, we hope that you choose ACJ to market your property for sale, however, our advice is not to base your decision solely on whoever gives you the highest valuation of the property. When the property is advertised at too high a price, the property is harder to sell. The danger of this approach, even with a later price reduction is that if the house sits on the market for a long time, it might become blighted in the mind of potential buyers, asking “what’s wrong with it?” It is important to make a good first impression, and price the property correctly in the first place.

You should also remember that agents who are not local to the area will be basing their price on land registry sold prices and other online statistics. This will not necessarily give them insight into local variances such as school catchment areas.

ACJ will provide you with an accurate valuation based on our 25 years local experience of selling properties throughout the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff. We will also back this up with Best Price Guides from leading property portal, Rightmove. The valuation meeting is important, this is your opportunity to question us about the services we offer, our ethos and past successes in selling a property like yours.

When choosing your estate agent you should also consider:

• What portals they advertise on. Jones Estates aims to get maximum marketing exposure for your property by advertising on the three main portals, Rightmove, Zoopla and On the Market.
• Look at the properties that the agent is advertising, are the pictures well taken, are the descriptions clear and relevant?
• What is their viewing policy – check they will accompany potential buyers when you are out.
• What are their standard terms & conditions — what is their standard commission rate and typical tie in period before you can break the contract if you are unhappy with them? Are all marketing costs included?
• Do you like them and feel that you can trust them?
• Check out their reviews on Google. Of course, online reviews should sometimes be taken with a pinch of salt, but if they are overwhelmingly negative, this should be a red flag. We are proud of our reviews on Google which can be seen here

You should decide which firm you want to use before you agree the sale of your house, however, you will only be able to instruct them after you have agreed an offer.

You will have a variety of forms and questionnaires to fill out. This will give the buyer all the required information about the property and what is included in the sale.

We are legally required to pass all offers on to you. If you are not happy with the price offered, you can either reject it or ask us to try and negotiate upwards. We work for you and it is our responsibility to ensure that we achieve the best possible offer on your behalf.

Once the offer has been formally accepted, we will take the property off the market. This is where the most difficult part of the process begins and it can be stressful, particularly if there is a chain with several other sellers, purchasers, solicitors and surveyors to contend with. We will take control and make this as easy and stress free as possible for you. We will stay in touch with all parties, manage any difficulties as they arise and keep you informed every step of the way.

When you exchange contracts with the buyer, you become legally committed to selling the property and they become legally committed to buying it. If you pull out after this without due cause, the buyer’s deposit will be returned to them and you could be sued.

Completion is when the property changes ownership, you accept payment, and hand over the keys. This takes place on an agreed date, usually at midday. You will need to ensure that you have fully moved out, read the meters and keys are with us to pass over to the new owner at the point of completion. Your solicitor will register the transfer of ownership with the Land Registry.

At this point, you will need to settle your accounts with us and your solicitor. If you are buying and selling at the same time, the Solicitor can usually settle up for all transactions, including paying stamp duty for the house you are buying.