How to reduce stress when selling your house

If you want your property transaction to go as smoothly as possible then call in the professionals. The true cost of moving home should always be counted in more than monetary terms. There is the cost of time and the emotional toll as well.

Time is one of the key components to a successful sale. But nowadays transactions seem to be taking longer than ever. There is no political will to speed things up: in fact new legislation and financial guidelines are acting to slow things down. So if the authorities and service sectors aren’t going to help, it is up to the buying and selling public to help themselves. Fortunately there are some good ways of doing this...

• Think ahead. Buyers are now hampered further by fresh rules from the lenders who are being far more inquisitive about our earnings and spending habits. All this occupies yet more time, and many bank and building society branches are taking two, three and even four weeks to interview applicants in the first place. So buyers should think ahead and get their funds in place early. They should also remember that if they have an “in principle” mortgage arrangement which is more than a few months old, the new lending criteria rules may mean that they can’t borrow as much as they were previously told.
  
• Choose your solicitor and agent carefully. It’s not all down to the buyer. There is an onus on the seller too. Despite the fact that they may be in a hurry, can their own solicitors act quickly enough – especially when faced with a cash purchaser who wants a swift deal?
  
• Make sure you choose a reputable solicitor who has the expertise and time to deal with your conveyancing should complications arise.
  
• Also, make sure you choose an estate agent, like Andrew Granger & Co, who has the experience and determination to act in your best interests, working closely with solicitors, surveyors, lenders and other agents in the chain.