Selling Your Home
Selling Your Home
My selling process
How I sell homes in Bramhall, Woodford and Stockport, from valuation to keys
Every step in plain English, and you’ll hear from me at every single one. No sitting there wondering what’s going on. I sell homes across Bramhall, Woodford, Edgeley, Davenport, Cale Green, Heald Green and Gatley, and further across South Manchester and the city centre.
See my marketing packages
Eight steps from valuation to completion
1. Valuation and pricing strategy
I price from what’s actually sold on your road in Bramhall, Woodford or Davenport this year, not what’s been gathering dust on Rightmove for months. You see the same evidence I do.
That’s a marketing price, not a vanity price. Pitch it right and you get the most buyers through the door in the first couple of weeks, when interest is at its peak, often with competing offers. Pitch it high just to feel good on the day, and your home sits there for weeks, buyers start wondering what’s wrong with it, and before long you’re being asked for a reduction anyway. I’d rather have that honest conversation now.
- Local sold comparables, printed for you
- The current competition on the market
- A realistic timescale
2. Getting your home ready
I’ll tell you honestly what’s worth doing before the photographer arrives, and what’s a waste of your weekend and your money.
3. Professional photography and video tours
Proper photography by a proper photographer (not me squinting at my phone), in natural light, plus a walk-through video and a floor plan. Buyers decide in seconds on their phone, so that first photo is the viewing.
Professional stills and floor plan
Video tour for Rightmove, Zoopla and social media
Drone shots where they add value
4. Marketing strategy and launch
Before your home goes on the portals, it goes to my registered buyers, so people moving locally and from across the UK and abroad see it first. Then it gets a proper launch, which means more interest in the first fortnight, when it counts.
Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket
Targeted Instagram and Facebook campaigns
5. Viewings, hosted by me
I host most viewings myself. I know the house, the schools and the area, and I’ll message you straight after each one, so you’re not left refreshing your inbox.
6. Offers and negotiation
Every offer goes to you in writing, straight away. I check each buyer’s position, so you compare real offers, not just numbers. And before a sale is agreed, every buyer goes through the same Kotini ID and anti-money laundering checks you did, so you know exactly who you’re selling to and that they’re ready to go.
7. Sale progression and conveyancing support
This is where sales wobble, so I don’t let yours out of my sight. I chase the solicitors, surveyors and the whole chain every week, so nothing stalls quietly in someone’s inbox, and I can recommend conveyancers I trust.
Memorandum of sale within 24 hours
Survey and mortgage valuation attended
Weekly updates, even when there is nothing new
8. Exchange and completion
Dates agreed, keys handed over, kettle on in your new place. And a donation from your sale goes to Coffee4Craig.
Visit our Coffee4Craig page.
Secure onboarding
Getting started safely: ID and compliance checks with Kotini
Before your home goes on the market, the law says I have to check you are who you say you are. I use Kotini, an independent compliance platform, so it’s done properly, securely and in minutes, not days. No trip to an office clutching your passport.
ID from your phone. A biometric identity check you complete from home: no office visit and no posting your passport.
Done to the legal standard. Full anti-money laundering, politically exposed person (PEP) and sanctions checks, as the Money Laundering Regulations require of every estate agent.
Protection against property fraud. Verifying the owner properly makes it far harder for anyone to pose as you and sell your home.
Fill in your property details once. The information buyers must be told about your home is collected securely and passed to your conveyancer, so you are not completing the same forms twice.
A faster start to the legal work. Your solicitor has what they need sooner, which helps get the contract pack out and the sale moving.
Everything in one place. Sign your agency agreement in the same app, with friendly reminders so nothing is missed.
Cost: £45 + VAT (£54) per person, paid once at the start.
Marketing Packages
Marketing built around your home
No two homes are the same, so there’s no one-size-fits-all. Every package includes all the main property portals (Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket), my website, social media marketing and email marketing to my buyer database. And if your home deserves something a bit special, I’ll do something a bit special.
Let’s face it, most buyers aren’t just on Rightmove. They’re scrolling Instagram and YouTube for inspiration long before they book a viewing. And we’ve all scrolled past a dark, wonky photo of a bathroom and wondered what on earth they were thinking. That’s why I get your marketing right from the very first day, so your home looks like somewhere people want to live, not just somewhere that’s for sale.
Your marketing package is paid up front, because it’s done up front. The photographer, videographer and drone are booked and paid for before your home goes live, so you launch looking your best from day one, not after a few weeks of “we’ll sort better photos if it doesn’t sell”. The photos and film are yours to keep, whatever happens. And when your home sells, I’ll take the package cost off my fee.
| Package | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Elevate | £200 + VAT | Stops the scroll and gets most homes noticed fast: floor plan, wide-angle, lifestyle and drone images, pro 4K mobile video with subtitles, and social media images |
| Showcase | £300 + VAT | Lets buyers feel what it’s like to live there before they visit: everything in Elevate, plus drone video and 4K cinema camera video with dynamic subtitles, as a reel or a video tour |
| Prestige | £450 + VAT | Turns your launch into an event, with buyers waiting before it goes live: everything in Showcase, plus visual effects, sound effects and a 15-second “Coming Soon” teaser reel |
| Bespoke | Quoted | For something truly special. We plan it together from scratch |
FAQs
Selling your home: FAQs
How long does it take to sell a house in Bramhall or Stockport?
A well-priced home in Bramhall, Woodford or Stockport typically agrees a sale within a few weeks of going on the market. The first two to three weeks are when interest is highest, so getting the price, photography and launch right from day one makes the biggest difference. Overpriced homes tend to sit, then need a reduction to get moving again.
From sale agreed to completion usually takes another 12 to 16 weeks. That time is mostly conveyancing, and depends on the length of the chain, how quickly the solicitors work and whether the buyer needs a mortgage. At your valuation I will give you a realistic timescale based on what is happening in your area right now.
Do I need an EPC before I sell?
Yes. By law, an Energy Performance Certificate must be in place, or at least commissioned, before your home goes on the market. It rates energy efficiency from A to G and is shown on Rightmove and Zoopla alongside your photos.
An EPC lasts ten years, so you may already have a valid one from when you bought. I can check for you, and arrange a new one if you need it. The assessor’s visit takes about an hour.
Who hosts the viewings?
Mostly me. I know your home, the local schools, the transport links and the area, so I can answer buyers’ questions properly. Buyers are also more relaxed and honest when the owner is not in the room. After every viewing I call or message you with feedback straight away.
What happens after an offer is accepted?
I check the buyer can proceed: their mortgage in principle, proof of deposit and any chain behind them. I then send a memorandum of sale to both solicitors so the legal work starts straight away.
From there I chase the solicitors, lender, surveyor and the rest of the chain every week. If anything comes up, such as survey questions or a delay further down the chain, I deal with it and keep you informed until exchange and completion.
What are your fees?
Quoted at your valuation, in writing, depending on your home and the marketing package you choose. No hidden extras. Sole and multi-agency options are explained on my Why Choose Me page.
Why am I not getting any viewings?
Almost always it is one of three things: the price, the first photo, or the description. If a home has had plenty of online views but few viewing requests in the first two weeks, buyers are telling you something, usually that it looks expensive for what they can see.
I check your portal data every week, compare it with what is selling nearby, and tell you honestly what to change before the listing goes stale.
My buyer pulled out. What happens now?
First, find out why. A failed mortgage, a survey issue or a collapse further down the chain each need a different fix. If the buyer is gone for good, I go back to the other buyers who viewed and offered, relaunch the home to my registered buyers, and get a fresh memorandum of sale out quickly.
The best protection is checking every buyer’s position before you accept, which is why I do it on every offer.
Should I accept a lower offer from a cash buyer?
Sometimes. A genuine cash buyer with no chain removes mortgage delays and down-valuations, which can be worth a few thousand pounds in certainty and speed. But “cash” needs proving, so I ask for proof of funds before putting any cash offer to you as cash.
Do I have to tell buyers about problems with my house?
Yes. Agents must now include material information in every listing, such as tenure, council tax band, parking, flood risk and any known building safety issues, and your solicitor will send buyers a detailed property information form. Hiding a known problem can come back on you after completion. Tell me early, and we will present it honestly and price it right.
Can I sell my house with tenants still living in it?
Yes. You can sell to an investor with the tenant staying, often the simplest option, or you can regain possession first using the selling ground, which needs four months’ notice and cannot be used in the first 12 months of a tenancy. Selling with tenants in place needs careful timing for viewings. I work alongside Durrell & Joe on these, so both sides are handled properly.
How long am I tied in if I sign with you?
Just four weeks. My standard agreement is sole agency with an initial period of four weeks, which is shorter than many. After that it simply rolls on until either of us gives 14 days’ notice in writing. If you sign at home, you also have a 14-day cooling-off period before anything starts.
Two things worth knowing, which apply to most sole agency agreements: if a buyer I introduced goes on to buy your home after you leave (within 6 months, or 2 years if no other agent is involved), my fee is still due; and if you then instruct another agent on a sole agency basis, you could end up owing two fees. My fee is only payable when contracts are exchanged. It is all set out in writing before you sign, and I am happy to talk it through.
What does it cost to sell a house in Stockport, all in?
Budget for the estate agent’s fee, your marketing package (paid up front, then taken off my fee when you sell), ID and compliance checks (£45 + VAT per person), conveyancing (your solicitor’s fee plus their costs), an EPC if yours has expired, removals, and any early repayment charge on your mortgage. I will give you my fee in writing at the valuation, and I can recommend conveyancers who quote clearly up front.
Why do I pay £45 + VAT for ID checks when I sell?
Because every estate agent must legally verify each seller’s identity and run anti-money laundering checks before marketing a home. I use Kotini, an independent platform, to do it properly: a biometric ID check from your phone, AML, PEP and sanctions screening, and secure collection of your property information, which is then shared with your conveyancer.
It is a one-off £45 + VAT (£54) per person. For that you get secure handling of your documents, protection against anyone fraudulently selling your home, and a quicker start to the legal work.
Want the honest number on your home?
Call 0161 410 2402