Want to sell my house from abroad

littlefred

Hi everyone,
Just wondering if anyone can advise. (donl't want to have to pay a solicitor!). I live and work abroad (S.E.asia) and rent my house out in U.K. I've decided to live abroad permanently and wish to sell my house. It would be very expensive and difficult to get time off work and was wondering if I could get my parents to sell the house on my behalf. We think we would need power of attorney, but would I stillns have to physically sign?
Anyone got any suggestions please?? :j

Mrs_pbradley936

I have sold property while I was living abroad - I was in the USA. Everything was more or less the same as it is if you were here they email you documents which you print off fill in and sign then send back. The only problem was the fact that it sometimes took two weeks for the paperwork to arrive after I had sent it. I suppose I could have used FedEx or something similar.


The transfer for the Land Registry got lost and they had to send another one. I asked if USA people could witness and was told that they could. Had they not been able to I could have tracked down a few English people but I did not need to.


I was coming back to the UK and so did not need the funds wired abroad that might make a difference. I hope you have retained a UK current account!

Voyager2002

You might need to visit your local British embassy and get staff there to witness your signature. That is probably worst case...

eddddy

So it sounds like you would need a power of attorney (which I guess you would want to draw up without a solicitor). It needs to be legally correct, otherwise the buyer's solicitor would reject it.

Your parents (attorneys) will need to turn up at the buyer's solicitor's office (with ID and Power of Attorney) to sign/exchange contracts and again at completion.

You / your parents will also have to deal with pre-contract enquiries from the buyers solicitors etc. If you do it badly and cause the buyer's solicitor extra work, the buyer may have bigger legal bills. (Some buyers might shy away from 'DIY sellers' for these types of reasons.)

If you have a mortgage on the property you are selling, you will almost certainly have to get a solicitor to deal with redeeming the mortgage.

littlefred

Thanks so much for everyone's replies!
As my house in the u.k. still has a mortgage I know we will need a solicitor for the sale. Just didnt want to have to pay a solicitor for the free advice you've all just given!
Just all seems to be so complicated does'nt it? i.e. we'll have to give our tenants notice to leave, the house will probably need 'tarting' up etc! Do we put it up for sale whilst tenants still there??
We'll get it all sorted some time:eek: btw the parents are 'getting on' so I don't want to give them too much upset.
Thanks again for all your help. best wishes to you.:eek:

Mrs_pbradley936

littlefred wrote: »

Thanks so much for everyone's replies!
As my house in the u.k. still has a mortgage I know we will need a solicitor for the sale. Just didnt want to have to pay a solicitor for the free advice you've all just given!
Just all seems to be so complicated does'nt it? i.e. we'll have to give our tenants notice to leave, the house will probably need 'tarting' up etc! Do we put it up for sale whilst tenants still there??
We'll get it all sorted some time:eek: btw the parents are 'getting on' so I don't want to give them too much upset.
Thanks again for all your help. best wishes to you.:eek:

You can start the process with tenants in place but I think you have to give "vacant possession" before the other side will complete.


I know that you will have to give your tenants 2 months Notice so I would let them know your plans so they can look for somewhere else.


Your tenants might agree to showing the place to people but I don't think that they have to. It depends on the relationship you have with them but if all was wonderful you could send an agent in to take details and photos, put it on the market and have the tenants show would be buyers around. Then issue the Notice and hopefully tie up the sale and be able to give vacant possession.


If the tenants will not co-operate you will have to give them the legal Notice and start the selling process once they have gone.

BigAunty

Lots of tenants on this forum rightly complain how intrusive, upsetting and inconvenient it is to have their personal belongings showing in online pictures and having strangers visit their property for viewings, knowing that they have to move on soon.

Lots of landlords on this forum complain how tenants block viewings and sabotage them, ignore the notice to quit when an offer has been accepted and drag out the eviction process by months, thus losing a sale. Tenants have the right to quiet enjoyment of the property and can legally change the locks to enforce this.

xylophone

Far better to give your tenants notice and make sure that you have vacant possession before you begin the sale process?

With regard to the "tarting up" would you wish to worry your parents with this? You might just be better asking them to arrange for the property to be given a thorough clean by a professional company once the tenants have left?

Don't forget to update your insurance company concerning the fact that the house will be empty.

And with regard to the PoA, a relative has this for an elderly person - he was able to use it to put the house on sale etc but when it came time for completion, the solicitor insisted on the signature of the donor!

There was no problem in so far as the donor was out of hospital and had moved into a residential home by that time, but both parties thought it rather "belt and braces.."

littlefred

Thanks again for everyone's comments. We've decided to inform our tenants of notice to leave, then get professionals in to clean the place. Our tenants are nice people so don't think w'll have a problem.
Only thing is.....what's the first, second, third thing to do, i.e. how to start the 'ball rolling". I know we sound like idiots but we're trying not to worry the parents in the u.k. being so far away makes it seem so complicated.

[Deleted User]

Excuse me but that very much depends on the tenants. I will be put in a very difficult position if my LL sells as he has said he wants to but I am busily painting and decorating, in spite of this causing a lot of pain (due to physical problems) because I am responsible enough to know this is what has to be done. I also have done nothing to get in the way of viewings, and other things the LL wants to do as while this is not a position I want to be in, me being unhelpful just for the sake of it, will only make the situation worse and would be very much against my principles. This is in spite of having a LL I am not overly happy with (lack of repairs and other problems). Yes there is a limit as to how far I will go, but I would hope that the LL and myself are prepared to negotiate with each other like adults should do. Its in both our interests to do so, the LL understands my difficulties, I understand its his property that I am renting.

So please don't generalise. I am sure I am not the only 'reassonable' tenant in the UK.