A clear process from start to finish.
You don't need to know all the answers before calling.
Seven stages
What happens, and when.
1. Initial conversation
Call us or fill in a short form. Tell us the address, what's happening and whether there are any dates you're working towards. If you don't know something, that's fine — we'll work it out together.
2. Property research
Before we talk figures, we look closely at the property and the local market.
- Comparable sales nearby
- The condition of the property, as far as we know it
- The location and local demand
- Any work a buyer would need to carry out
3. Inspection, if required
Sometimes we need to see the property before we can confirm an offer. If so, we'll arrange one visit at a time that suits you. You don't need to clean, tidy or clear it first. If you live some distance away, tell us and we'll talk through how access could work.
4. Offer issued
You'll receive a written offer with an explanation of how we've reached it. There's no obligation to accept it, and you're free to compare it with other options.
5. Solicitors instructed
If you decide to go ahead, you instruct a conveyancing solicitor or licensed conveyancer to act for you, and we instruct ours. This is the same as any property sale in England and Wales.
Legal costs: [HOW SELLER LEGAL FEES ARE HANDLED — TO BE CONFIRMED BY HOMEFORWARD]
6. Legal process
The solicitors check the title, raise and answer enquiries, carry out searches and prepare the contract. We'll keep you updated in plain terms. The sale becomes legally binding when contracts are exchanged.
7. Completion
On the agreed completion date, the purchase money is sent to your solicitor and the keys are handed over. Your solicitor pays off any mortgage and sends the balance to you.
Typical timescale from offer to completion: [TYPICAL TIMESCALE — TO BE CONFIRMED BY HOMEFORWARD]. Every sale is different and depends on the legal position of the property.
What we need from you
To get an offer
- The property address
- Your name and a phone number or email
- What's happening, and any dates that matter to you
- Anything you know about its condition
If you go ahead
- Your solicitor's details
- Proof of identity, which your solicitor will ask for
- Any documents you have, such as guarantees or certificates
- For an inherited property, the grant of probate once issued
What happens if I change my mind?
You're under no obligation to accept our offer. If you do accept it, nothing is legally binding until contracts are exchanged — up to that point, you can decide not to go ahead.
After exchange, both sides are committed to the sale. Your solicitor will explain this before you sign.
If you withdraw before exchange, you may still owe your own solicitor for work they've already done, depending on your arrangement with them.
What could delay the sale?
Legal title issues
For example, unregistered land, boundary questions or missing rights of way.
Probate
If the owner has died, a grant of probate is usually needed before the sale can complete.
Mortgage redemption
Your solicitor needs a redemption statement from your lender to clear the mortgage.
Leasehold information
Leasehold sales need information from the freeholder or managing agent, which can take time.
Tenancy complications
Missing tenancy agreements, deposit questions or a tenancy that's different from what we expected.
Missing documentation
Such as building regulations sign-off, planning permissions or guarantees for past work.
Want to talk it through first?
Call us and ask whatever you need to. There's no obligation, and we'll tell you whether a direct sale makes sense for you.