Sales Services

The first thing to do when you are thinking about buying is to decide what your budget is. If you are going to be applying for a mortgage, we recommend making it a priority to visit a mortgage advisor before your search begins. This way, you will have an idea of how much you can borrow, and you can narrow your search to properties within this price range. We can assist with this if needed, just let us know.

It's a good idea to have a list of your requirements to focus the search - for example, location, the type of property, and the price range you can afford. This will help our residential sales staff to come back to you with appropriate properties.

When purchasing a new property, you will need a solicitor to support the legal transfer of the property. It's a good idea to start thinking about which solicitor you would like to appoint, even before you are sale agreed on a property.

When registering an offer with us, we will usually ask to see 'proof of finance' to verify your offer. Normally, this is your decision in principle, but if you are purchasing a property. We would require bank statements to show proof of funds. This is why it's a good idea to have this in place before you start viewing. We will then notify the seller of the offer and update you with their feedback. If there is already another offer on the property, we will need to update the underbidder.

A solicitor will carry out 'conveyancing' should you be successful in having a sale agreed to you. Conveyance in legal terms means the transfer of property title from one person to another. A Solicitor drafts the document by which a property transfer is affected. A brief overview of this process is below. Please note: there are no guarantees in a property purchase until the signing of contracts is complete.

If you are buying a new home with a mortgage, it is essential to submit your mortgage application as soon as possible in order to receive your mortgage offer to proceed with the purchase. A survey of the property will be required by your lender and it is usual for this to be carried out within ten days of the sale being agreed. Access will be arranged through the Estate Agent.

• Terms are agreed between the seller and buyer (usually via an estate agent) and the seller and the buyer instruct their Conveyance (Solicitor).
• The seller's Conveyancer obtains the seller's title deed and prepares the draft Contract for the buyer's Conveyancer to approve.
• The seller's Conveyancer sends to the buyer's Conveyancer the draft Contract together with the rest of the documentation that forms the contractual package.
• The buyer's Conveyancer, amongst other things, checks the terms of the Contract, does the Searches and checks the results, checks the Mortgage Offer, and checks the readiness of any dependent sale to proceed.
• Contracts are signed and exchanged at which time a Completion Date is fixed.
• The Transfer Deed/ Document is prepared by the seller's Conveyancer. It is then signed in readiness for the Completion Date.
• The buyer's Conveyancer obtains the funds for the purchase from the buyer/ the buyer's sale (if any).
• And the lender (if there is a Mortgage).
• On the Completion Date, the buyer's Conveyancer sends the funds to the seller's.
• Conveyancer and when received by the seller's Conveyancer the purchase is completed and the buyer can take occupation.
• The buyer's Conveyancer pays any Stamp Duty and registers the buyer as owner of the property at the Land Registry.

If you buy a property in the UK over a CtWain price, you have to pay Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). This is charged on all purchases of houses, flats, and other land and buildings.

The SDLT rate is a percentage charged on the purchase price.

The rate can vary depending on the price of the property; if it's residential or commercial and the location of the property.

You'll pay:

• Nothing on the first £125,000 of the property price
• 2% on the next £125,000
• 5% on the next £675,000
• 10% on the next £575,000
• 12% on the rest (above £1.5 million)

The first step is to get in touch and arrange your free, no obligation Market Appraisal with Best Property Services. A trained member of our valuations team will meet you at your property at a time that suits you to provide you with all the information you need in order to make an informed decision, this includes; guide price, marketing approach, fees, information of getting the property ready for the market.

You're happy with the information provided on the Market Appraisal and ready to get the house on the market. Best Property Services will provide professional photos, floorplans and virtual tour to present your property in the most attractive way possible and to as wide an audience as possible.

The more flexible a seller can be with viewing arrangements, the better. We try and work around the seller's schedule as much as possible, however the right buyer could be the one who requests the time outside of this, so we like to provide flexibility where possible.

To make the Sales process smoother, we'd recommend you have a solicitor in place to carry out the conveyancing so they can act promptly when a bid is agreed. We suggest that you make contact with a solicitor at the same time that you place the property on the market. It is important that your solicitor can provide the purchasers solicitor with all relevant documentation as soon as possible in order to facilitate with a smooth, efficient sale.

It is better to address any potential issues at this stage rather than waiting for the sale to be agreed.

Throughout the marketing process of your property Best Property Sales Negotiators may provide you with suggestions and feedback to maximise the saleability of the property.

Once a sale has been agreed with a purchaser, it is important to keep in regular contact with your solicitor to ensure you can provide any further information that is required as soon as possible and also to ensure the completion of sale within a satisfactory timescale. Best Property Services will keep each vendor fully informed of sale progression.

Appealing: Try to tailor your space to show the property to appeal to the target buyers. So if you feel a professional couple would be ideal, then turn the junk room into an office space, or furnish it as a bedroom if you are hoping to appeal to families with young children.

De-Clutter:

• Potential buyers need to imagine themselves living in your house, so get rid of ornaments and photos and declutter. Put things you don't really use on a daily basis in the attic or storage. Large pieces of furniture should also go into storage to make rooms feel more spacious.
• Focus on the main entrance and hallway areas and - clear away coats/clutter;
• In the bathroom - hide all your products out of sight;
• and the kitchen - clear the bench surfaces of appliances and make sure the rooms are clean and presentable for viewings.

Freshen Up

• A fresh coat of neutral paint, new tiling or lino, can do wonders to a tired looking property.
• If your budget can't stretch to re-tiling the bathroom, try regrouting to improve the look.
• Replace any broken light bulbs;
• A vase of fresh cut flowers in the living room and kitchen areas can brighten up spaces and make them look more appealing.
• The garden is often an important feature so be sure to make your garden feel like a great space for entertaining and relaxing by adding a cushion to a bench, some potted plots etc.

There are a few factors that our sales negotiators evaluate when considering the sale value of a property including:

• Comparable evidence of other similar properties which have recently sold (based on our extensive database of records and comparison with other agencies)
• Market knowledge of other similar properties which are currently on the market (this is useful if another property similar has been on the market for a long period at a realistic figure)
• Age and condition of the property, it would be important to determine if there are any issues which may affect a sale proceeding i.e. structural/title issues.
• Square footage of property, particularly if it is a fairly unique type of property of which there are no similar sales/houses on the market.
• Location of the property