Selling Process

Pitching the price of your property correctly is a skill.  Too high and you won’t receive any interest.  Too low and the property sells for much less than it is worth.  An accurate valuation pulls together information from several resources:  The cosmetic,  general structural condition, and future potential of the property, and also the prices achieved for similar properties in the area. We will study this information in preparation for your valuation and bring the relevant reports to go through with you.

Much of the groundwork is done by us even before we visit you. Obviously the cosmetic and structural condition of the property is taken into account when we visit, and its at this point we can perform a thorough assessment by bringing together all of this information to advise you on the best possible price and marketing strategy for your property.

We pride ourselves on our personal service, and have a strong mutual trust with all of our vendors. We are always open, honest and believe in total transparency. We know how important selling your home is and we respect that throughout the process. Our friendly family team will support you every step of the way. We have many repeat vendors who have sold with us several  times since 1983. They always return because of that trust, and to be looked after by our closely knit team, a level of service which the bigger high street chains can’t offer.

Selecting the perfect estate agent to represent your interest is so important. Sound local knowledge, well trained highly motivated staff; clear, fair terms of business, a competitive fee structure and a proven history of sealing deals should be high on your list of priorities. The agent that gives you the highest valuation is NOT always the best for you, we will always be very honest about the value of your property. We never have (and never will) mislead you on price in order to gain your instruction.

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rates the energy efficiency of a property and its carbon emissions. As of 6th April 2012, the EPC details should be displayed on all property particulars and it is now a legal requirement to provide an EPC for most properties in England and Wales. We can arrange this for you.

You will need to decide who will do your conveyancing.  Conveyancing is the term used to describe the legal process you must go through when buying or selling a home. Conveyancing can be done by a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer. Find out what their fees are, what other legal costs are involved and when these are payable.  We can recommend a solicitor if you do not have one, we understand the importance of selecting a good solicitor as it can make or break a sale. We have a dedicated team of sale progressors at Meacock & Jones who are highly experienced in dealing with solicitors on your behalf.

We will arrange all of your viewings and give you plenty of notice,  we always confirm appointments by phone, email and text. We accompany all viewings unless you state otherwise. It is important to ensure your home is tidy and clean. De-clutter and take down any personal photographs for viewings – it makes the property less personal to you and more of a blank canvas for those looking around. 

To find the right buyer your property needs maximum exposure across a wide range of media. We offer a range of important marketing benefits which will aid in getting you the best possible price. It is important to remember that most agents you contact will have access in some for another to the tools listed below, however what distinguishes the great from the good is unrivalled local knowledge, close attention to detail, and a wealth of experience.

To raise the profile of your property we always recommend these following methods:

Professional photography and video tours. This will give your property the edge.

Erecting a For Sale board – This is one of the most effective ways to raise local awareness and attract buyers to your property. They really do work and they advertise your property 24 hours every day.

Direct marketing – We will contact any prospective purchasers who are registered with us and inform them of your property within minutes of receiving your instructions. Details of your property will be sent by various methods of communication including emails and SMS alerts. Targeting a direct market of registered applicants ensures we don’t get time wasters.

Website and property portals – Our website is updated instantly and full details of your home will be placed as soon as details have been approved.  In addition to advertising on our website, we advertise through national property portals such as Rightmove. We are very active and well followed on social media, so you may see your property featured on our Instagram and Facebook pages too.

At Meacock & Jones we believe that flexible opening times are essential to maximise viewing opportunities for your home. We know that our customers need to work around their usual daily commitments, resulting in a large number of our clients viewing after work or at weekends. Accompanied viewings allow us to share our expert knowledge of your property to achieve competitive offers.

Over 40 years of experience has shown us that potential buyers are much more comfortable in directing their questions to the agent rather than the vendor. These questions on a viewing can often lead to offers and a subsequent sale! We always ensure that we are equipped with the information on your home so that we can answer any questions which may be asked on a viewing.

All offers will be reported both verbally and in writing and we will check all offers for their validity and ask for proof of funds.  We will also substantiate any mortgage offers using our own in house advisor to check proceedability.  In the case of multiple offers, we will advise you on the best course of action.  With total trust and transparency, we endeavour to achieve the best possible price for your home, and will always act in your best interests, speaking continually with you throughout the transaction.

Remember that in England an offer is not legally binding, so until contracts have exchanged your buyer could change their minds without significant financial loss. It is at this point that historically many sales could fall through if not handled correctly. For this reason we have a sales progression department that is solely committed to ensuring a smooth and hassle free transaction for the sale of your home. We try to keep the stress away from you where possible. We are very experienced in keeping a chain together, and a sale intact. Many estate agents can take their eye off the ball once an offer is agreed, however at Meacock and Jones, we feel that this is the most delicate and tricky part of a transaction, and it requires careful handling by our highly skilled sales progressors.

Before an offer is agreed we will qualify the buyer and assess their ability to purchase your property.  We can also contact the buyer’s personal mortgage adviser to confirm their financial commitment. This minimises the risk of a purchase falling through.

At the point of a sale being agreed, we will liaise with both your solicitor and the buyer’s solicitor and prepare the memorandum of sale and we will write to all parties confirming the agreed details of the sale.

Your solicitor will request the title deeds from the lender (if appropriate).  The solicitor will prepare the draft contract, which details the terms of the sale, and send it to the buyers’ solicitor together with all relevant documents.  The buyer’s solicitor will then start the preliminary checks.  The Title Deeds and Lease (if applicable) will be checked and local searches carried out.

At this stage both parties become legally committed to the sale. Contracts are signed by both parties and the solicitor requests the buyers deposit. A completion date is set and agreed upon by both you and the purchaser. We will keep you fully informed along the way so that you know when to expect exchange of contracts, and we will of course act on your behalf to agree a convenient completion date with both solicitors.

Normally both parties will want a short period of time between exchange of contracts and completion to organise their move. If you haven’t done so already you should have arranged all packing and removal duties, informed everyone of your change of address and booked any disconnections/re-connections of services for your new home. Remember on the date of completion the property is legally owned by the new buyers so allow plenty of time to move out. Don’t forget the cat!

Completion occurs when all outstanding legalities have been completed and the balance of funds are transferred to your solicitor. The solicitor will let you know when this has happened and will inform us so that we can release the keys to your buyer. We love making that phone call to tell you that we have successfully sold your property, and to congratulate you!