How to Sell Your House: The Step-by-Step Guide

Quick Answer: Selling your house involves valuing the property, choosing a reliable estate agent, preparing your home for sale, marketing it to potential buyers, arranging viewings, negotiating and accepting an offer, completing the conveyancing process, exchanging contracts and completing the sale. Preparing your paperwork early and working with the right professionals can help the house selling process progress more smoothly.

Selling your home involves much more than putting a property listing online and waiting for potential buyers. From arranging a house valuation and choosing a reliable estate agent to preparing for property viewings, negotiating offers and completing the conveyancing process, understanding each stage can help you make informed decisions and keep your sale moving.

If you are wondering how to sell your house, this step-by-step guide explains the house selling process in England, including what to do before going to market and what happens after you accept an offer.

What Are the Main Steps to Selling a House?

The main steps to selling a house are to understand your finances, establish the property’s market value, choose an estate agent, prepare and market the home, conduct viewings, negotiate and accept an offer, complete the legal work, exchange contracts and finally complete the sale.

The Government’s guidance for England and Wales follows broadly the same sequence. It also recommends checking your outstanding mortgage, arranging the necessary paperwork and choosing a solicitor or conveyancer early in the process.

Here is what each stage involves.

1. How Should You Prepare Financially Before Selling Your Home?

Before selling your home, check how much remains on your existing mortgage, whether early repayment charges apply and approximately how much equity you may have after selling costs. Your mortgage lender or mortgage provider can provide an up-to-date redemption figure and explain whether your current mortgage can be transferred to a new property.

Your selling costs may include estate agent fees, conveyancing fees, removal costs, an EPC if you need a new one, and repairs or improvements you decide to make before marketing.

If the property is not your main residence, Capital Gains Tax may also need to be considered. GOV.UK recommends establishing these costs before selling so you have a clearer idea of the money available for an onward purchase.

This is particularly important if your existing mortgage is close to the property’s expected selling price, as negative equity can affect whether the sale is financially possible.

2. How Do You Work Out How Much Your House Is Worth?

A house valuation estimates the market price your property could realistically achieve based on factors such as its location, condition, size, features, recent sold prices and current buyer demand. An estate agent valuation should therefore consider both comparable evidence and what is happening in the local property market now.

Online estimates can provide a useful starting point, while HM Land Registry data can help you research what comparable properties have recently sold for. To set a realistic asking price, get valuations from at least three different estate agents, whether they are local estate agents, other agents, an online estate agent or a high street estate agent. However, an in-person property valuation allows an agent to assess the individual characteristics of your home and recommend an appropriate asking price; where needed, a formal valuation offers a paid report from a qualified surveyor, and an estate agent suggests pricing and presentation steps rather than providing that official figure. GOV.UK specifically recommends researching local house prices, checking Land Registry sold-price information and asking estate agents to value the property.

For homeowners in South West London, local knowledge matters because market conditions and buyer demand can vary between Richmond, Putney, Twickenham, Sheen, Mortlake and neighbouring areas; checking local papers can also help you compare asking prices in the area. If you are deciding between high street agents and online agents, remember that the firms that regularly sell properties nearby may have the clearest view of buyer demand.

Parkgate provides property valuations across Richmond and South West London, including advice on market positioning and pricing strategy.

3. How Do You Choose a Reliable Estate Agent?

Choose a reliable estate agent by comparing local estate agents rather than simply choosing the highest suggested asking price or lowest fee. Consider the agent’s knowledge of your local area, evidence behind their valuation, marketing strategy, communication, buyer database, viewing process, negotiation approach, contract terms, experience helping sell properties like yours, whether they know the market from local papers as well as live listings, and reputation checks including online reviews, along with service differences between a high street estate agent and an online estate agent.

Local estate agents may include traditional high street agents and online agents, and other agents can provide useful comparisons on fee structure and service.

Ask potential agents:

• How did you calculate the initial valuation?
• Which recently sold properties support that figure?
• Where will my property be advertised, and are premium listings included?
• Are professional photography and floorplans included?
• Who will conduct the house viewings?
• How will prospective buyers be qualified?
• How often will I receive feedback?
• What are the estate agent fees and what do they include, given fees often vary by service model and commonly fall around 1% to 3.5%?
• Is there a fixed fee or percentage commission?
• Does the agreement include sole agency or sole selling rights?
• How long am I committed to the contract?

If an estate agent suggests a valuation or strategy, ask what evidence supports it and how the agency typically helps sell your property.

An unusually high estate agent valuation is not automatically the best valuation. GOV.UK warns sellers that a valuation is not a guarantee of the final selling price and recommends checking fee structures and contract terms carefully, especially when comparing high street agents.

Parkgate is an independent estate agent based in Richmond and serves homeowners across South West London. Its selling service includes valuations, professional photography, floorplans and property marketing, while its website states that sellers are not tied into a long-term sole-agency contract.

4. How Do You Prepare Your House for Sale?

Preparing your house for sale means presenting it so prospective buyers can easily understand its space, condition and potential. Start with essential repairs, decluttering and cleaning, then consider whether simple presentation improvements could make rooms and outside spaces more appealing.

Pay particular attention to:

• Kerb appeal: tidy the entrance, front garden, windows and exterior.
• Decluttering: reduce unnecessary possessions so rooms feel clear and usable.
• Repairs: address obvious minor defects where practical.
• Lighting: maximise natural light and replace failed bulbs.
• Gardens: keep lawns, planting and outside areas tidy.
• Room purpose: make it easy for buyers to understand how each space can be used.

Avoid spending heavily simply because you assume every improvement will increase the final selling price. A local estate agent can advise whether particular work is likely to improve presentation or marketability before you pay extra for it.

You should also start gathering the paperwork required for the sale. Depending on the property, this can include title deeds, tenure information, planning or building regulation documents, warranties, relevant certificates and leasehold documentation.

Do You Need an Energy Performance Certificate to Sell a House?

In most cases, a property being sold needs a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), unless an exemption applies. The EPC provides information about the property’s energy efficiency and must be made available to potential buyers.

You can check whether your home already has a valid certificate through the government’s EPC service. If an EPC is required and the existing certificate has expired or no certificate exists, an accredited assessor can produce a new one.

5. What Happens When Your Property Goes on the Market?

Once the asking price and marketing strategy have been agreed, your estate agent prepares the property listing and promotes the home to potential buyers. Effective property marketing combines accurate information with strong presentation and distribution through channels where suitable buyers are searching to help sell your property.

This can include professional photographs, floorplans, property portals, the estate agent’s website, direct communication with registered buyers, and in some cases premium listings for added visibility.

Parkgate states that its sales properties receive professional photography and floorplans and are marketed through its website and major property portals.

The asking price also plays an important role. Pricing significantly above the market can reduce interest, and overpricing may cause a listing to stagnate and later require price reductions, while a considered pricing strategy can help generate relevant enquiries and competitive interest. Balancing a quick sale with achieving a strong price requires a considered strategy from the outset.

6. What Happens During House Viewings?

House viewings give prospective buyers an opportunity to inspect the property, understand its layout and decide whether they want to make an offer. The estate agent can conduct property viewings on your behalf, though some sellers choose to do their own viewings, answer relevant questions and collect feedback afterwards.

Before each viewing, make sure the property is clean, reasonably tidy and easy to access. Open curtains or blinds, remove unnecessary clutter and ensure important spaces such as gardens, storage areas and reception rooms can be seen properly.

If your agent conducts the viewing, buyers may also feel more comfortable discussing their questions and initial impressions without the homeowner being present.

Feedback from several viewings can become useful market evidence. If people consistently raise the same concern, your agent can discuss whether presentation, marketing or the asking price needs to be reconsidered.

7. What Happens When You Receive an Offer?

When a potential buyer makes an offer, you can accept it, reject it or negotiate. When selling houses, reviewing offers should involve more than simply choosing the highest number; assess the buyer’s financial position, contingencies, chain position, financing type, timescale and ability to proceed.

Your estate agent acts as an intermediary during property negotiation and must pass offers to you in accordance with the applicable rules.

For example, a cash buyer may not require a mortgage, while another buyer may be dependent on selling their current property or arranging a new mortgage. A buyer using a mortgage will normally need their mortgage lender to approve the property and borrowing before the transaction can progress.

Ask your estate agent what buyer verification has been completed and whether the prospective buyer has evidence of funds or an agreement in principle where relevant.

Remember that accepting an offer does not normally make an English property sale legally binding. Once you accept an offer, inform your legal representative so the legal process can begin promptly. That happens later, at exchange of contracts.

8. What Does Conveyancing Involve When Selling a House?

Conveyancing when selling a house is the legal process of transferring ownership from the seller to the buyer. Your conveyancing solicitor or licensed conveyancer prepares the contract documentation, deals with enquiries from the buyer’s solicitor and helps progress the transaction towards exchange and completion. Conveyancing fees typically cost between £600 and £1,500.

The legal work can involve information about the sale price, property boundaries, all the fixtures and fittings, rights or restrictions, planning matters and the agreed completion arrangements.

For a leasehold property, additional information may be required from the freeholder or managing agent. Properties with long leases are generally more attractive to buyers, so it helps to check the lease length early. Starting this process early can be useful because gathering a leasehold information pack and answering enquiries can take time.

If you have an onward purchase, your solicitor, estate agent and mortgage company may also need to coordinate your sale with the purchase of your new property.

9. What Happens at Exchange of Contracts and Completion?

Exchange of contracts is the stage at which the buyer and seller become legally bound to the transaction. Completion takes place afterwards on the agreed date, when the purchase price is transferred and legal ownership passes to the buyer.

Before exchange, the buyer’s solicitor will need to be satisfied with the legal work and the buyer will need appropriate funding in place. Both parties then agree the contract and completion date.

On completion day, the buyer’s solicitor transfers the funds and, where applicable, also handles purchase-side payments such as Stamp Duty. Your solicitor deals with relevant payments, which can include redeeming the existing mortgage and settling outstanding estate agent fees, before transferring the remaining balance to you.

You must leave the property in the condition agreed under the contract and remove the possessions that are not included in the sale. Once completion has been confirmed, the keys can be released to the buyer.

For a more detailed explanation, read Parkgate’s guide to what happens on completion day when selling a property.

How Long Does the House Selling Process Take?

There is no guaranteed timescale for selling a property because marketing time, buyer circumstances, mortgage applications, surveys, legal enquiries and property chains can all affect progress. GOV.UK currently states that selling a home takes around five months on average, with chains potentially making the process longer.

Choosing professionals early, preparing all the paperwork and responding promptly to legal enquiries can help reduce avoidable delays, although some stages remain outside the seller’s control.

Selling a House in Richmond: Why Does Local Knowledge Matter?

When selling a house in Richmond, local market knowledge helps connect a property’s valuation and marketing strategy with the buyers actually searching in the area. Different property types, streets and parts of South West London can attract different levels of demand, so broad London house prices alone may not give sellers enough information to set an appropriate asking price.

Parkgate is based at 8 Eton Street in Richmond and covers Richmond alongside Putney, Twickenham, Sheen, Mortlake and other parts of South West London. Its team describes its sales strategy as combining local comparable analysis, buyer-demand assessment, pricing advice and targeted property marketing.

If you are considering selling your property, starting with a local valuation can help establish what your home could realistically achieve in the current market.

Ready to Take the First Step Towards Selling Your Home?

Understanding how to sell a house makes the process easier to plan, but every property sale has its own circumstances. Your valuation, asking price, marketing strategy, buyer and legal position will all influence what happens next.

Parkgate Estate Agents provides property valuations and residential sales services across Richmond and South West London. If you are thinking about selling your home, you can book a free property valuation or contact the Richmond team to discuss your property and next steps.

Disclaimer: This guide provides general information about selling property in England and should not be treated as legal, financial, tax or mortgage advice. Property transactions and individual circumstances vary. Seek advice from an appropriately qualified solicitor, conveyancer, tax adviser, mortgage professional or other specialist where required.