Selling Your House…?

Forget-me-nots…

atest press release from Anya Llewellyn Homes, issued on Tuesday, October 10th 2023…

Thinking of selling your house?

Anya Llewellyn Homes would be delighted to guide you through every step when you decide to sell your home.

Anya has been selling all types of houses since 2004 and has a wealth of expertise and knowledge to share with you.

Anya’s extensive knowledge of the local area comes from living here with her young family since 2017. She is a proud ambassador of both Greystones and Delgany.

Below is a sellers guide outlining the list of steps to be taken when selling your home…

1.Appoint a Solicitor
No 1 get your solicitor to request your title deeds from your bank.  This can take time(up to 6 weeks at present) and nobody can sell a house without their solicitor having the title in place.  Your solicitor will let you know what other documents they will require like maps, certificates of building compliance, management company details, LPT certificates, taxes and charges, etc.

2. Preparing For The Sale
Get your home ready to sale. The better you are prepared upfront the more likely you will have a smooth sale. Clean, tidy and declutter; repair or renovate; improve your curb appeal.

3. Appoint an Estate Agent
An estate agent will value your property, arrange any advertising and co-ordinate viewings, as well as being involved in the completion of the sale in conjunction with your solicitor. All estate agents must be registered with the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA). Check that your estate agent is registered.

To help you pick the right estate agent, it can be helpful to ask a few questions before deciding:

⦿ How much will they charge for selling your property?
⦿ What are the advertising costs? This is often paid up front and separate to overall fees charged by the estate agent. It can include photos, online advertisements, and brochures.
⦿ Where will they advertise your property?
⦿ Ask for examples of similar properties sold in your area?
⦿ What is demand for similar properties in the area like?
⦿ Have they any recommendations on how you can improve your property to help
attract interest?
⦿ What level of support do they offer during the sales process?
⦿ How often will they update you, for example, after viewings?
⦿ How much do they think your property will sell for?
⦿ If you enter into a contract with them, how long will the contract last?
Remember, you are in charge when it comes to selling your home. Talk to a number of
different estate agents before you decide on one, and make sure that you are comfortable with the person, their costs and the support they will offer to you throughout the process. Once you have selected an estate agent, you will enter into a contract with them.

The contract will set out the terms and conditions of the sale, including all costs. It should also include a copy of the Property Service Agreement. The Property Service Agreement is a statutory document published by the PSRA and all licensed agents in Ireland must give you a copy at the outset of the relationship.

4.BER Legal Requirements: Obtain a BER Certificate 
A list of assessors can be obtained on SEAI.ie or we  can  make recommendations and arrange access (if required).

5.Marketing your Home
We will arrange a walk through to let you know how you can best prepare each room in advance of photography. Set a date for the photography, floor plans and a virtual tour to be carried out.  Marketing material will be written and designed and send to you to approve.

Launch Date 
The launch of your sales and marketing campaign will include a detailed timeline of the online, print and social media campaign for your property.

6.Bidding Process
When offers start to come in it can be tempting to accept the highest bid offered, but there are a number of other factors that you should consider.

⦿ Has the buyer got mortgage approval? Your estate agent should confirm whether the buyer has their mortgage approved in principle. Ask for a copy of their approval letter. If they don’t have approval, this means that they still have to apply and might be declined by the lender which could result in the sale being delayed, or possibly falling through.
⦿ Has the buyer got their deposit? Confirm that the buyer has their deposit in place. This will help ensure that the sale is not delayed or falls through at a later date.
⦿ Does the buyer need to sell an existing property? If you are not dealing with a first-time buyer, they may have to sell their own property before they can buy your property. Ask to see a signed contract for the sale of the other property which should give you some assurance that there will not be any undue delays with the sale going through.
⦿ Are they a cash buyer? Some buyers may be in a position to buy your property with cash. This could mean that the sale could go through relatively quickly. When considering the bids on your property, think about all of the above before making a decision.

7. The Sales Process 
Once you accept an offer on your property, contracts will be issued by your solicitor. The purchaser and their solicitor will typically have 28 days to raise queries on the contract.

Signing Contracts and Exchanging 
Once the purchaser is satisfied with all their queries.  The purchaser will sign contracts and pay 10 % deposit less the booking deposit. Contracts will then  be sent to your solicitor for you to sign.  Once signed by you and returned, the sale is legally binding for both parties.

8. Closing the Sale 
After signing is complete, the purchasers solicitor sends Objections and Requisitions on Title together with the Schedule of Closing documents and a draft deed to the your solicitor. After satisfactory replies are received, a closing date is arranged.

Finally it is time to complete the last steps of the process. You will need to attend your solicitor’s office to sign the transfer deed and other documentation that may be required to complete the sale.

You will need to provide proof of payment of household charges and LPT (Local Property Tax). This is generally handled by your solicitor. For more information on LPT visit www.revenue.ie.

In addition, if this is not your principal private residence, proof of payment of NPPR (Non-Principal Private Residence charge) will be required for the years the charge applied (2009 –2013). For more information on NPPR visit here.

The keys will be released by the estate agent once the exchange of title has been received by purchasers solicitor and funds have been received by your solicitor.

Well done, and congratulations – you have made one of the biggest sales of your life.

What legalities-paperwork do I need to be put in order when selling my property?
⦿ Title deeds
⦿ Land registry maps
⦿ Land registry instrument – septic tank registration if applicable
⦿ Building Energy Rating certificate
⦿ Planning certification
⦿ PPS
⦿ Local Property Tax

For any queries big or small please contact Anya by phone here or by email here. We are here  to help you, every step of the way.