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Selling your home: a step-by-step guide

By Chris Pollitt · Last checked 6 November 2026 · 2 min read

Selling a home is partly about getting the price right and partly about getting the paperwork right. Sellers who prepare early tend to sell faster and lose fewer buyers along the way.

1. Find out what your home is worth

Before you speak to any agents, look at what similar homes on your street and nearby have sold for recently. That gives you your own benchmark, so you can tell whether a valuation is realistic or just pitched high to win your business. Our guide to getting your home valued explains how.

2. Choose an estate agent

Invite two or three local agents to value the home. Ask each one which comparable sales they used, how long similar homes have taken to sell, and how they'd market yours. Don't simply pick the highest valuation. An overpriced home sits on the market, goes stale and often ends up selling for less than it would have done.

Compare fees and contracts carefully. Sole agency is usually cheaper than multi-agency. Check the length of the tie-in period, the notice period, and whether you'd owe a fee if you later sold to someone the agent introduced. Online agents charge less, often a fixed fee paid upfront, but you'll usually do the viewings yourself.

3. Get your paperwork ready

Your agent will need an Energy Performance Certificate before marketing starts, unless you have a valid one from the last ten years. You'll also need to complete the property information forms for your conveyancer. Gather these early:

Instructing a conveyancer as soon as you put the home on the market, rather than waiting for an offer, can save weeks.

4. Prepare the house

You don't need to redecorate, but first impressions matter. Clear clutter, fix small jobs like dripping taps and loose handles, tidy the front garden, and make rooms feel light and spacious. Good photos and a floor plan make a big difference online, where almost every buyer starts.

5. Viewings and offers

Be flexible about viewing times, especially in the first few weeks when interest is highest. When offers come in, look beyond the headline figure. A slightly lower offer from a chain-free buyer with a mortgage in principle can be worth more than a higher one from someone who hasn't yet sold.

6. From sale agreed to completion

Once you accept an offer, your conveyancer sends the draft contract and forms to the buyer's side and answers their questions. The buyer will usually have a survey. If it finds problems, they may ask to renegotiate. Keep things moving by responding quickly and keeping in touch with your agent.

When everything is ready, contracts are exchanged and a completion date is set. On completion day the buyer's money arrives, your mortgage is paid off, and the keys are handed over.

Costs to budget for

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This guide is general information, not financial or legal advice. If something here is out of date, please let us know.