In short
Selling a house has five main stages: getting it valued and choosing an agent, preparing and marketing it, agreeing a sale, the legal work (conveyancing), and finally exchange and completion. From accepting an offer to moving out usually takes three to four months, but it varies a lot.
If you’ve never sold before – or it’s been a while – the process can feel daunting. It needn’t be. Here’s what actually happens, in the order it happens, and what you can do at each stage to keep things moving.
1. Get a valuation and choose an agent
Start by asking two or three estate agents to value your property. A good valuation should come with evidence – similar properties that have recently sold nearby – and an honest view of how quickly it’s likely to sell at different prices.
Don’t just pick the agent who suggests the highest figure. Look at how they’ll market your home, who will actually handle your sale, what their fee includes, and how long their contract ties you in for.
2. Get your paperwork started early
A few things can be sorted before you even go on the market, and doing them early saves weeks later on:
- An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). You need a valid EPC before you market your home. They last ten years, so you may already have one – we can check on the government’s EPC register for you.
- A conveyancer or solicitor. You can instruct one when an offer is accepted, or even as soon as you decide to sell. If you pick and instruct one before a sale is agreed, that is slightly better – the solicitors can prepare the property information forms and request your title deeds in advance. They will need you to complete and return various bits of initial paperwork, so if this can all be done prior to a sale, it means that the buyer's conveyancer can get started straight away (applying for searches etc).
- Documents about the property – guarantees, building regulations certificates, planning permissions, boiler service records etc.
3. Prepare and market your home
First impressions matter, online most of all. Nearly every buyer now starts their search on Rightmove or Zoopla, so the photos, floorplan and description do a lot of the work of attracting the most suitable buyers.
If you are able and have time: tidy, declutter and fix the small things that can put buyers off. Then your agent will photograph the property, measure it for a floorplan, and write the details – including the “material information” buyers must be told up front, such as the council tax band, tenure and any known issues. We can advise you on which jobs are worth doing and which make little difference to the outcome.
4. Viewings and offers
Viewings can be done by you or your agent. If it is us doing the viewings, it would always be a full time and experienced staff member – we don't use random part time accompanied viewers. Afterwards, your agent should give you honest feedback – including any negative points, which are often the most useful.
When an offer comes in, look at all aspects – not just the headline figure. Ask your agent about the buyer’s position: do they have a property to sell? Is it already sold? Do they have a mortgage agreed in principle? A slightly lower offer from a chain-free buyer is often worth more than a higher one from someone who hasn’t yet sold.
5. Sale agreed
Once you accept an offer, the property is marked “sold subject to contract” (SSTC). Your agent sends a memorandum of sale to both solicitors, and everyone involved has their identity checked – agents and solicitors are required to do this by law.
At this point nothing is legally binding. Either side can still pull out, which is why keeping things moving matters.
6. The legal work (conveyancing)
This is usually the longest stage. Your solicitor sends the buyer’s solicitor a draft contract and the property information forms. The buyer’s solicitor carries out searches (local authority, water and drainage, environmental), raises questions, and checks the buyer’s mortgage offer and survey.
Replying to your solicitor’s questions promptly is the single most useful thing you can do here.
7. Exchange and completion
When everyone is ready, contracts are exchanged. From that moment the sale is legally binding, the buyer pays a deposit (often 10%), and a completion date is fixed.
On completion day the money is transferred, the keys are handed over, and you move out. Exchange and completion can happen on the same day, but a gap of a week or two is common, especially in a chain.
From experience
The sales that go most smoothly are nearly always the ones where the groundwork was done early – the solicitor instructed before the sale was agreed, the paperwork found, and the buyer’s position properly checked. It’s not glamorous, but it can take weeks off the process.
How long does it all take?
As a rough guide: a few weeks to prepare and launch, however long it takes to find the right buyer, and then typically three to four months from sale agreed to completion. Chains, mortgages, leasehold properties and probate sales can all add time.
What does it cost?
The main costs are your estate agent’s fee, your solicitor’s fees, the EPC and your removals. If you have a mortgage, check whether there’s an early repayment charge. Our own typical fee is 1% +VAT, all-inclusive, on a no sale, no fee basis – with photography, floorplans and drone photography included as standard.