First time selling in Scotland Advice needed...

andyd55

Hey guys and gurls!

Looking at selling up my house in Scotland and moving 'home' to N. Ireland. First ever time selling, what do I need to do??

Tidying up house currently and trying to best present rooms.

Anyone know of good solicitor in Dumbarton and surrounding areas?

Are Valuations free? Should you get a handful of estate agents to come and value your house?

Any other comments or help would be much appreciated.

Nosht

Why sell?If you can rent it out & probably make more than selling in a stagnant market.Valuations are not free, neither are Estate Agents. You can sell it yourself just by using a lawyer but when you employ sharks (basically they do not care about you or your property, just collect their fee ) you leave yourself wide open to massive expenses.Regards,N.

andyd55

Only reason I am wanting to sell is to buy my own place back in N. Ireland. The house I own in Scotland is part owned by myself and another person. Thanks for the Reply.

twinklefish

You must have used a solicitor to buy your current property...why not get in touch with them? Most solicitors will offer you a free chat about your local housing market and your particular situation and will give you a quote for fees. You could also try the Glasgow Solicitors Property Centre as they may have a list of local solicitors and are a good place to look at what the competition is in your area! Ask friends and work collegues if they would recommend a solicitor.

Good luck!

Tx

eleanorre

The new survey thingy come into effect in Scotland soon so seek advice about . The market is bad is Scotland just now , same as elsewhere,but I just read about RBS going to offer more in lending through all the new negotiations so things might pick up. Having said this we sold some 8 years ago in Scotland and started with Estate agents to give a valuation. We got three very different ones and went with the one giving the biggest value BIG mistake . We had to take it off the market and start again as buyers were put off even looking so do be realistic .
The answer is I think to start with an estate agent and go from there they will tell you when the new survey thing starts.
Eleanor

nicebelvoir

Nosht wrote: »

Why sell?If you can rent it out & probably make more than selling in a stagnant market.Valuations are not free, neither are Estate Agents. You can sell it yourself just by using a lawyer but when you employ sharks (basically they do not care about you or your property, just collect their fee ) you leave yourself wide open to massive expenses.Regards,N.

Of course valuations are free, since when have estate agents charged for valuations!? When half of them are going bust you should be able to get plenty to come round and value the house, a lot of them will probably offer to clean the windows too if you ask!

Lawyers are in it for themselves - big shock! That's what friends are for, people who can recommend decent lawyers for you to deal with, and in Scotland the estate agents and lawyers are tied together, in my experience you get a better service in that respect in Scotland (and again, most of them have nothing to do right now so they should deal with you quickly). And what's with the daft comments? Lawyers offer a service you can pay for if you want it, haggle!

Also, the advice on renting. In a market where the number of rental properties is increasing (because people can't sell), and where there are huge developments standing empty, rental yields will FALL. Do a search, there are numerous articles on the collapsing BTL market and the rising bankruptcy levels. Renting might be a good choice, if it covers your bills and you don't need the capital now, but it isn't a solve all solution.

andyd55

Thanks for comments guys and gurls!

Had Slater Hogg out today valuing it, they are charging £350 Marketing Fee and 1% and there is no lock period however they charge £250 if you chose to withdrawal from market? Does this sound reasonable??

O and my previous Solicitor is on holiday at moment but the fella in office thinks it would be about £450? How does this figure sound as I have no idea?

ecgirl07

No expert but i would maybe look at putting on a fixed price and not the offers over. My neighbours sold their flat for £90K last month which was a top figure for the street (what credit crunch ) by putting it on at fixed price. People dont have money to waste in submitting offers in "offers over" so look at a reasonable fixed price.

andyd55

Thanks ecgirl07 I will bear this in mind when decided on estate agent and getting it on the market.

andyd55

Anyone else comment on these charges? Are they fair about what i should be expecting to pay?

jenniferfluff29

Seems a bit high. My EA is charging me .85% with £250 marketing fee and no tie in or fees to pay if withdrawing from market. Market fee also included 4 page A4 glossy schedules. Hope this helps.

I would phone or e-mail all the EA's and enquiry about their rates. Be warned - don't always go for the cheapest. My first EA was not very good and did not make regular contact unless I had a viewing. My current EA is great and calls every 2 weeks. Does make a difference to know that someone is at the other end of the phone. However, EA are not very good at keeping an eye on the market and advising you when to drop your price (if necessary) - both EA's are quite lax in this respect. Keep an eye on similar houses and adjust your price accordingly.