Selling Process

Obtaining a valuation is the first step in the process of preparing to sell your property. We at Kenton offer free, no obligation property valuations. One of our highly experienced team will visit you at your property to provide you with a realistic market appraisal, discuss with you the current market conditions and the services we have to offer.

Pitching the price of your property correctly is a skill. Too high and you won’t receive any interest. Too low and the property sells for much less than it is worth. An accurate valuation pulls together information from several resources: The cosmetic, general structural condition and future potential of the property, the prices achieved for similar properties in the area. This information is reviewed and an appropriate asking price is offered to you.

You should instruct an Estate Agent who you are confident will represent your best interests and will be there to offer you their professional advice throughout the process. At Kenton, our highly motivated team combine decades of local knowledge and customer service so that we can ensure moving home can be as seamless and enjoyable as possible for you.

Selecting the perfect estate agent to represent your interest is most important. Sound local knowledge, well trained highly motivated staff; clear, fair terms of business, a competitive fee structure and a proven history of sealing deals should be high on your list of priorities. The agent that gives you the highest valuation is not always the best for you. Our staff are trained to an exceptionally high standard so you can rely on us.

First impressions count! How your property is presented both online and during physical viewings will effect the level of interest and even the final price you could achieve for your home. Ensure your home is clean and tidy and free of clutter (where possible) before we take the photographs.

Your property needs to be seen by as many prospective buyers as possible which is why we use a range of media to ensure each property has sufficient exposure. Our properties are advertised on major property portals such as Rightmove, Zoopla, Primelocation and On The Market, to name just a few. ‘For Sale’ boards are a fantastic way to generate more interest in your property, especially when you live in a popular area. Each week we have a number of prospective purchasers register their details via our website or by calling us directly, to who we will then send details of properties which are relevant to their search criteria. Our eye-catching window displays in our Orpington and Chelsfield offices showcase the properties we are currently marketing, highlighting their positive aspects. A large number of applicants visit our conveniently located offices to discuss specific properties they have seen advertised in our windows or online in further detail.

To find the right buyer your property needs maximum exposure across a wide range of media. We offer a range of important marketing benefits which will aid in getting you the best possible price.

To raise the profile of your property we always recommend these following methods:

Erecting a For Sale board - This is one of the most effective ways to advertise and attract buyers to your property. They really do work and they advertise your property 24 hours every day.

E-mail - The world of technology now enables us to send your property all around the world with a simple click of a button.

Direct marketing - We will contact any prospective purchasers who are registered with us and inform them of your property within minutes of receiving your instructions. Any details will be sent via any methods of communication including emails and SMS alerts. Targeting a direct market of registers applicants ensures we don’t get time wasters.

Website and property portals - Our website is updated instantly and full details of your home will be placed as soon as details have been approved. In addition to advertising on our website, we also advertise in local press and through national property portals.

In our experience, prospective purchasers prefer to be accompanied solely by the Agent as they feel more comfortable openly discussing how they feel about the property, which in turn enables us to provide you with detailed and accurate feedback on each and every viewing. We offer flexible viewing times, including evening and weekends to ensure you never miss out on an opportunity to sell!

We at Kenton believe that flexible opening times are essential to maximize viewing opportunities for your home. We know that our customers need to work around their usual daily commitments, resulting in a large number of our clients viewing after work or at weekends. Accompanied viewings allow us to share our expert knowledge on your property to achieve competitive offers. The safety of our clients is paramount therefore we never allow prospective buyers to visit un-accompanied.

As your agent, we are obligated to inform you of each and every offer we receive for your property. Our experienced team will offer their professional opinion and will do all they can to negotiate the best price for your property. Should you decide to accept an offer, the prospective purchasers will be required to complete our financial qualification process, carried out by our in-house financial advisor, before we advise formally marketing the property as ‘Sold Subject to Contract’

All offers will be reported both verbally and in writing and we will check all offers for their validity and ask for proof of funds. We will also conduct checks under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and Money Laundering Regulations 2003 and ensure that any mortgage offer is verified. In the case of multiple offers, we will advise you on the best course of action.

We will always try to achieve the best possible price for your home and act in your best interests throughout the transaction.

At the point of a sale being agreed we will request from both you and the purchasers, details for your respective chosen solicitors who will act on your behalf throughout the sale process. We will be happy to assist with this by providing you with recommendations for some reputable solicitors firms. Once we are in receipt of these details we will send out a Memorandum of Sale to each solicitor so they can begin the legal process, both you and the purchaser will also receive written confirmation of the sale from us at this point.

Before an offer is agreed we will check the buyer’s ability to purchase a property. We can also contact the buyer’s personal mortgage adviser to confirm their financial commitment. This minimises the risk of a purchase falling through.

At the point of a sale being agreed, we will liaise with both your solicitor and the buyer’s solicitor and prepare the memorandum of sale and we will write to all parties confirming the agreed details of the sale.

Your solicitor will request the title deeds from the lender (if appropriate). The solicitor will prepare the draft contract, which details the terms of the sale, and send it to the buyers’ solicitor together with all relevant documents. The buyer’s solicitor will then start the preliminary checks. The Title Deeds and Lease (if applicable) will be checked and local searches carried out.

Remember that in England an offer is not legally binding, so until contracts have exchanged your buyer could change their minds without financial loss.

Our team will provide you with weekly updates on how the process is progressing by liaising with both solicitors and the purchaser’s mortgage advisor. If a purchaser requires a mortgage their lender will instruct a mortgage valuation to be carried out on their behalf, most purchasers also opt to have an additional Homebuyers or Structural survey carried out on the property. Simultaneously, the purchaser’s solicitor will raise enquires relating to the property for your solicitor to answer, some may be referred to you for further information. Once all of these stages are complete and the purchaser’s solicitor is satisfied with the information they have received, they will report to the purchasers with the findings and contract to sign in readiness for the exchange of contracts.

At this stage both parties become legally committed to the sale, and if it falls through from this point onwards then the deposit is forfeited. Contracts are signed by both parties and the solicitor requests the buyer’s deposit. A completion date is set and agreed upon by both you and the purchaser. Unless agreed otherwise (e.g. a simultaneous exchange and completion) the completion date can be anything up to 28 days from the date of exchange.

Once both you and your purchasers have signed the contracts and returned them to your respective solicitors, you will be in a position to set a date for completion which will be mutually agreed between yourself and the purchaser. The purchaser’s deposit will be transferred and exchange of contracts will now be able to take place, this legally binds both you and the purchaser to the sale. On the day of completion, which is usually 7-14 days after the exchange of contracts has taken place, the remaining funds will be transferred to your solicitor and the process will be complete. Your solicitor will let you know once this has taken place and we will contact you to arrange the keys if this has not been confirmed prior.

Normally both parties will want a short period of time between exchange of contracts and completion to organise their move. If you haven’t done so already you should have arranged all packing and removal duties, informed everyone of your change of address and booked any disconnections/re-connections of services for your new home. Remember on the date of completion the property is legally owned by the new buyers so allow plenty of time to move out.
Don’t forget the cat!