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It’s the biggest purchase we make and also the biggest thing we sell.  So it’s understandable that you want to make absolutely sure you entrust it to the right agent.  Given what we do for a living it’s easy for estate agents to forget that, whilst this is something we do every day, for most of our clients this an unfamiliar, daunting and very personal process.  We never forget that, so for us the most important thing is to make you feel comfortable that we only have your best interests at heart and confident that we can find the right buyer and achieve the right price, with the minimum of fuss. 
Understanding the various parts of the process can be complicated, as can ensuring you are fully aware of the legislation surrounding the sale of property.  We sit down with each of our clients at the very beginning making sure you know exactly what to expect at every step of the process.  Sadly, there are parts of the process that an estate agent can’t do for you but we want to make sure you know that when you appoint eddisonwhite we’ll do everything we can to make the process as quick and painless as possible.
Put simply there are six steps from decision to sell to completed sale.  Here, we break each one down for you:

Step 1: Get your home looking its best

A simple enough one to start with but perhaps the most important thing you can do.  Naturally, you want to achieve the best possible price for your home and there are a number of things you can do to make sure that’s the case.  We view hundreds of houses every year and that’s taught us a little bit about what sells well and sells quickly.  A few hours spent making your property look its best or even spending a bit of money to clear up some niggling problems could add to the price a buyer is prepared to pay.  Whilst we stop short of donning the overalls and wielding the paintbrush we’re very happy to work with you and give you the benefit of our experience when it comes to sprucing up your home.

By way of a taster; here’s our top tips;

Think like a buyer – we get used to the places we live so it’s hard to see them through others’ eyes. But if you want a successful, quick sale, that’s exactly what you have to do. Don’t overlook flaws just because you don’t mind them or you’re used to them, when your house is one of many a buyer is viewing those little niggles might just be enough to sway the decision between two similar properties.
Reduce clutter – get rid of everything but the bare essentials. It will give any buyer a better understanding of the space available.
Decorate neutrally – buyers need to be able to see it as their own home.  They need to be able to vision their own taste in the space and if they find your own taste a little overwhelming it might make them less able to visualise what it could be like.
Keep it light – make sure the windows are clean inside and out and remove any obvious barriers that stop the light flooding in.
Start from the kerb – buyers will often walk or drive past first, and fresh paintwork and well cared for outside spaces make a great first impression.
You’re ready for your estate agent to start showing buyers round.

Step 2: Instruct eddisonwhite

Hopefully by now you’ve decided we’re the best agent to help you sell your home.  You may have spoken to a number of agents and had multiple  valuations so choosing us shows you trust us, we don’t take that trust lightly and will make sure we don’t let you down.
We have a fairly simple policy when it comes to valuations.  We tell you honestly and realistically what we think you can achieve and then discuss with you the right selling strategy to make sure we achieve it. 
As many TV property shows never tire of telling us; what you market your property for is crucial: price too low and you’ll get a quick sale but may not maximize the potential value in your property, price it too high (tempting though it is) and you may find it hard to even get a buyer through the door.
We will never inflate a valuation to win your business because we know you’ll end up disappointed further down the line.  It’s down to that trust thing that we hold so dear, and we won’t do anything to damage it.

- for a Valuation

Step 3: Get your Energy Performance Certificate

Energy Performance Certificates or EPC’s for short, are now compulsory for all residential properties being marketed for sale.  They were introduced by the Government to help improve the energy efficiency of buildings. If you are selling a home you now need a certificate by law. From October 2008 EPCs will be required whenever a building is built, sold or rented out. The certificate provides 'A' to 'G' ratings for the building, with 'A' being the most energy efficient and 'G' being the least, with the average up to now being 'D'. 

- Click here to organise an EPC

Step 4: Agree the sale

Once a buyer has decided yours is the property for them they will submit an offer through us.  We are legally obligated to communicate every offer to you and take your advice as to whether you want to proceed on that basis or reject the offer. Of course, if you ask for it, we’ll give you our advice as to whether the offer is fair or not, but only if you ask for it.

Step 5: Up to exchange of contracts

This is the part of the process where conveyancing kicks in.  It’s impossible to say whether it will be a short or long process as the lawyers exchange information and contracts and the buyer firms up their finance.  This part of the process is largely out of our hands but we are always happy to help the communication flows on your behalf.  We’ve seen too many sales take longer than they should as both parties wait for one elusive piece of paper – where we can help, we will.

Step 6: Complete the sale

The final stage!  Usually on completion day, you hand over the keys to us and we hand them over to the buyer once we have confirmed the money and contracts are where they should be.  Job done.

Marketing your property

The joys of the digital world, has changed the way we do pretty much everything, not least buying a property. Now you can research an area, see what property is for sale and even view it, all from the comfort of your home, office or coffee shop. The majority of applicants we see have checked out what’s on sale before they pick up the phone to make an appointment for a real viewing.
That means for sellers the most important question you should ask your estate agent is how they go about marketing your property online and not so much where they are located and how many offices they have.  We’ve embraced all that the internet can offer when it comes to selling homes for our clients: 

• We’re on the top 5 web property portals meaning whenever someone taps in a postcode we’re selling in, up pops our list of available properties.
• You’d be amazed how many people just type ‘Estate Agents in SW19’ into Yahoo or Google.  To make sure we capture these buyers we pay to top the links that are listed when they do.

Of course, when people feel ready to leave home armed with their shortlist, how we produce the marketing material for your property is equally important.  We pride ourselves in the quality of our printed materials and associated advertising.
One final point of pride for us is our membership to the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA).  This is our industries professional body and to be accepted for membership takes effort; an effort some of our competitors seem to think is unnecessary.  It’s like our version of the ’kite mark’ and your proof that you’re dealing with a professional organisation. 

We can offer you the best possible marketing support for your home.

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