Selling a home

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Preparing to sell

If you have a mortgage on the property you鈥檙e selling, you鈥檒l need to move the mortgage to your new property, or pay it off.

Check how much it costs to sell

Contact your mortgage lender to check:

  • how much mortgage you owe
  • if there are early repayment charges
  • if there are fees to move your mortgage

You may also need to pay:

  • any other outstanding debts secured against your home
  • estate agent fees
  • legal fees
  • removal costs
  • Capital Gains Tax if the property is not your main home or includes a lot of land
  • for essential home repairs or improvements
  • resolving issues in the deeds to the property

You can find a list of costs on the .

Find out how much your home is worth

You鈥檒l need to find out how much your home is worth so you can compare it to the outstanding balance on your mortgage and other moving costs.聽

Knowing the value of your property will also help you to set the right asking price when you鈥檙e ready to sell.聽

You can find out how much your home is worth by:

  • researching local house prices online聽
  • finding out what homes in your area recently sold for using
  • asking estate agents to value your home聽

You may want to get a formal home valuation. They are carried out by a qualified valuer who will charge for this service.聽

Get the paperwork you鈥檒l need together聽

Before you put your home on the market, you鈥檒l need to make sure you have all the right paperwork to give to a prospective buyer.聽

This might include:

  • property title deeds
  • information on the type of ownership the property has (tenure) - freehold or leasehold
  • an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
  • planning permission and building regulation certificates
  • FENSA or CERTASS certificates for windows
  • guarantees, warranties and surveys
  • electrical checks
  • party wall agreements聽

Get help from a professional

An estate agent and a legal professional can help you gather this information.

Identity checks聽

You鈥檒l also need to prove your identity and your address to your:

  • estate agent
  • solicitor or conveyancer
  • mortgage lender
View a printable version of the whole guide

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