A Guide to Sales Progression

30th May 2017

The first part of your buying or selling journey can be the most all-consuming. For sellers, the process of preparing for and accommodating viewings takes over, while buyers focus all their energies on finding a property that fits their needs.

It may be hard to imagine, then, that the real work begins once a sale is agreed on.

We understand that it’s sometimes hard to see ahead to the complex steps that come after an offer has been made. That’s why we’ve prepared a comprehensive guide to what comes next, taking buyers and sellers through the timeline and the jargon, and explaining how our property experts can assist you at every stage.

Under offer

The best possible news for a seller is that an offer has been made on their home - by the right buyer at the right price. The best news for a buyer, of course, is that their offer has been accepted.

Once a seller has accepted an offer on their home, the property is ‘under offer’ or ‘Sold subject to contract’. This is certainly call for celebration, but it’s also the beginning of a daunting legal process.

It’s wise for both parties to employ a solicitor or licensed conveyancer at this point. We work with a range of Brighton & Hove’s leading solicitors and conveyancing companies to offer a seamless transition.

With efficient online meetings and records, our conveyancing partners allow you to keep track of the whole sales process at your convenience.

The paperwork

To kick off the selling process, the estate agent will issue a memorandum of sale to all parties. This is essentially a document outlining the contact details of the buyer and seller, as well as both of their solicitors.

This will be made available to both parties, and used throughout the process.

The seller’s solicitor will also request the deeds to the property from the seller or their mortgage lender, office copies from the Land Registry, and a redemption figure from the mortgage lender. These will be used to draw up a contract.

The contract will be sent to the buyer’s solicitor, who will check through and raise any necessary enquiries until both solicitors are satisfied with a final draft.

Surveying the property

While the solicitors are dealing with the contract paperwork, some buyers choose to send a private surveyor to the property to ensure there are no underlying issues they are unaware of.

If a buyer is taking out a mortgage, their lender will also send a valuer to confirm the property is worth what the buyer has offered and make sure there are no obvious issues. The result of this valuation report will determine the lender’s decision to issue the mortgage.

Our estate agents will act on behalf of sellers, ensuring that surveyors visit at a convenient time. These visits could take between 30 minutes and 3 hours, depending on the type of survey and whether any issues are discovered.

At this point, a buyer may choose to renegotiate the contract if any problems are highlighted, and we will work with buyers and sellers alike to come to a mutually agreeable solution.

Conveyancing

The conveyancing process will continue with a number of searches on behalf of the buyer. These involve enquiries to the local council, regarding any potential enforcement or development issues that could affect the property, as well as confirmation that the property has access to mains water and drainage.

Once the necessary information has been received, both sets of solicitors will work to complete the contracts. These will then be sent to the buyer and the seller respectively, ready to sign.

Exchange of Contracts

At this point, it’s time to set a mutually agreeable date for completion. It’s important to consider whether either or both parties are in a chain, as this may set the completion date back. The other parties in the chain will need to be contacted by the conveyancer, ensuring everyone completes on the same day, and nobody is left without somewhere to move.

The exchange of contracts also legally binds both buyer and seller to go through with the sale. This is a good time for the seller to start removing anything from the property that’s not included in the sale - moving-in day is just around the corner!

Moving Day

The day of completion has arrived, and finally the ownership of the property will be legally transferred from the seller to the buyer.

The buyer’s funds are sent to the seller’s solicitor, who will confirm receipt. We will then be authorised to release the keys to the new owner - this is our favourite part of the process, as we get to see both parties start their new lives in what we hope to be a very happy home.

Are you ready to begin the process? With our friendly estate agents on your side, you can count on expert assistance on your journey to buying or selling. Get in touch to find out how we can help you.

Testimonials

  • Sharon and her team could not have done more in what was a difficult sale. 

    Ms Daly Woodingdean

  • It was an amazing experience, everyone involved were fantastic. 

    Mr & Mrs Knight Woodingdean

  • Please thank Paula at Lewes Road - Excellent service. 

    Mr & Mrs Nuthall Lewes Road

  • I wish we had used you to sell our property! Nice to meet honest people, who are genuinely interested in helping. Very pleased.

    Mrs Porter Taunton Road

  • Very comprehensive and professional. Nice people to work with and highly recommended. 

    Mr Alderton Ladysmith Road

  • Very professional service. Thank you!

    Miss New & Mr Jackson Buller Road

  • Excellent service from the Lewes Road branch. Martin Timms secured a quick sale & at a good price & Paula Carter worked really hard to secure...

    Ms Schulte Bear Road

  • Hugely impressed with Ben & his team.

    Mrs Mead Upper Lewes Road

  • Graham Griffin provided us, and continues to provide us, will all-round excellent advice. We trust his knowledge and expertise.

    Mr Blackmore & Ms O'Sullivan Financial Services

  • Nick and Paula are total stars! They were incredibly supportive and present throughout. Thank you!

    Miss O'Haire Hove

  • From start to finish the sale was dealt with in a thoroughly professional manner.  

    Mr Gibbs Lewes Road

  • Paula was absolutely amazing!

    Mr & Mrs MacKay Lewes Road

  • I found the service to be courteous, friendly and efficient.

    Mr Upton Buller Road

  • I would recommend Maslen to anyone. 

    Mrs Tripp Woodingdean

  • A very committed team who made the sale process very easy.

    Ms Rees Ticehurst Road

  • Harvey was helpful and easily reachable at the beginning of the process and Sharon kept us informed and was always happy to help.

    Ms Murch & Ms Mapa Ticehurst Road

  • I was new to the area and viewed a lot of properties with a lot of different agents. Maslens were by far the best I came in contact with, so when i...

    Mr & Mrs Heer Lewes Road

  • Service exceeded my expectations overall at all stages of the process - I wouldn't hesitate to recommend you. Thanks. 

    Ms Greene Lewes Road

  • Very good service and communication. Paula was excellent.

    Mr & Mrs Scarboro 1 Pevensey Road

  • Thank you Paul and Archie, you gave an excellent service, as well as Kelly. I look forward to working with you again. 

    Mr White Fiveways

  • We cannot recommend Maslen's estate agents enough.

    Many thanks to Paul, Donna, Janette and the...

    Linda & Les Wigmore Close

  • Excellent communication and advice throughout. It felt very reassuring to be in good hands.

    Mrs Brooker Buller Road

  • Very happy with the service we got from you guys, everyone we dealt with was extremely friendly, professional and helpful. Thanks!

    Mr Brown Titian Road

  • Extremely efficient. Nick and Paula are excellent. The weekly phone calls were much appreciated. 

    Ms Gray Lewes Road

  • Excellent service as always

    Mr Field Ringmer Road

  • Many thanks to Nick. It was an easy process thanks to you! I'm extremely satisfied with how the sale went, great job.

    Ms Mayanobe Aymer Road

  • You were amazingly helpful throughout - a real pillar of strength with a very difficult sale.

    Mrs Parkin Fiveways

  • Outstanding service from Sharon. James is an asset to Maslens & Harvey was so helpful and polite.

    Ms Cianchetta Selhurst Road

  • In February 2016 I was looking to buy and sell very rapidly. Competition among buyers at the time was very high. Sharon @ the Woodingdean branch sh...

    Ms Helen Lyons Woodingdean

  • All the staff I dealt with were excellent. Sharon worked really hard to complete the sale.

    Mrs Bent Falmer Gardens

  • Very impressed with the service. Sharon Wareham works tirelessly, very professionally and is always there for advice. 

    Miss Matthews Kipling Avenue

  • Sharon was excellent - kept us well informed, thank you so much!

    Ms Waters Cowley Drive

  • Cannot express our appreciation enough of all the efforts made by the Woodingdean team - they were fantastic.

    Mr John Mogridge Woodingdean

  • Sharon, Harvey and James were all excellent - very professional. Totally opposite to what I have experienced with other agents. Maslen have restore...

    Ms Lyons Woodingdean

  • Exceptional service throughout the process - should we decide to sell in the future we wouldn't hesitate to use your agency. You're a cut above the...

    Ms Windels & Mr Barham Fiveways

  • First class service from a first class team.

    Mr & Mrs English The Ridgway

  • Very pleased with the excellent service throughout. Professional, friendly, efficient and no hard sell. Achieved above asking price. Thank you!

    Mr Witten Lewes Road

  • Paul was absolutely brilliant. 

    Mrs Tasker Fiveways

  • We were delighted with the service received from all the staff with whom we had contact,

    Dr Crichton The Ridgway

  • Thank you for everything!

    Ms Tucker Willow Close

  • Paula's role was brilliant. Having someone office based and available was so appreciated and her promptness an impressive service - every Estate Agent...

    Ms Wynn-Jones Baxter Street

  • Excellent customer service throughout. I will definitely recommend you, and use you again. Thank you.

    Ms Longley Kingsbury Street

  • Our local office manager, Sharon Wareham was warm and friendly and kept us up to date at all times.

    Mr Hope The Brow

  • Good team. Straightforward. No nonsense.

    Mr Standing Newmarket Road

  • An efficient, professional and friendly service. Helpful and a pleasure to do business with.

    Mr Beddington Brading Road

  • We were very impressed with the Nick from start to finish. 

    Mr & Mrs Smith Lewes Road

  • All agents at Maslen were extremely helpful and polite from the beginning to the completion of sale. 

    Mr Johnson Fiveways

  • The Woodingdean team were very friendly and approachable.

    Mrs Palmer Pitt Gardens

  • Very pleased with the experience. I would definitely recommend you and use you again.

    Ms D Edmonds Horton Road

  • Very impressed with all dealings with Maslen. Paula Carter was in particular very knowledgeable and helpful. 

    Mr McBlane Hove

  • Paul Wilkinson was extremely helpful and efficient. The only problem was the vendors solicitor and Paul warned me of this. A good transaction all r...

    Mr Lavender Fiveways

  • Quality advice about when and how to sell, which was spot on. Thank you.

    Miss Coleman Buller Road

  • Sharon was excellent, she kept us informed at all stages and was a really calming objective influence in the process.

    Ms Frederick Channel View Road

  • Sold within 2 weeks for asking price "excellent!"

    Mr Grundy Bishops Road

  • Fantastic service. By far the best agents we have ever used, I cannot recommend you highly enough.

    Mr Field Mafeking Road

  • The team worked very hard over a long period to ensure my sale went through - excellent service!

    Mr Patrick Gladstone Terrace

  • Excellent Service from start to finish.

    Mr T Mole Cromwell Road

  • The sale was dealt with swiftly, professionally and successfully. Thank you Maslen!

    Mrs Lincoln Hove

  • Superb service as usual, I would always recommend you.

    Ms S Hike Blackthorn Close

  • A very positive experience - I had most contact with the Fiveways office and they were so friendly and helpful.

    Ms A King Balfour Road

  • As always, an excellent service. 

    Mr & Mrs Field Lewes Road

  • Sharon was amazing! She kept us up to date the whole way through the process. We cannot fault Sharon or the rest of her team. 

    Mr & Mrs Ashley Woodingdean

  • Ben and Paula were calm and reassuring throughout a very difficult process!

    Ms Easterbrook Bear Road

  • Best Estate Agents ever experienced - professional, approachable, competent and exemplary. 

    Mr & Mrs Guest Riley Road

  • Paula was fabulous and we felt really informed and supported. 

    Mr & Mrs Walker Lewes Road

  • Very thorough & very informative.

    Mr Michnowicz Waldegrave Road

  • Compared to your rivals, your service was excellent

    Ms McGrigor Milner Road

  • Thank you. We found all the staff knowledgeable and really pleasant to deal with. 

    Ms Ansloos Lewes Road

  • Very pleased with the service. Many thanks to Sharon and the boys!

    Mr Flynn Woodingdean

  • Very impressive - professional and friendly, both Martin Timms and Paula Carter were excellent at keeping in contact with sensible advice based on...

    Mrs O'Connor Hove

  • The staff were very helpful, an excellent service. I would recommend you to others.

    Miss Hockly Fiveways

  • Already recommended you! Thank you.

    Mr Edwards The Ridgway

  • A completely painless experience from start to finish. Thank you.

    Mr Woolven & Mrs Bessant-Woolven Lewes Road

  • The whole team were excellent, each one of them felt like family. Sharon had a lot of sorting to do at times but coped very well, a true profession...

    Mr Vernon Woodingdean

  • Very helpful and patient team.

    Mrs Shea Selborne Place

  • Paula is amazing!

    Ms Aspnall Gladstone Place

  • Great service, always polite and friendly. Excellent contact and info all the way.

    Mr Wells Bishops Road

  • I have bought and sold 7 properties, and this was the best experience of an estate agents services I have found.

    Mrs Shepherd Hertford Road

  • We were very pleased with services provided by the Fiveways office.

    Mr & Mrs Sawyer Shaftesbury Road

  • It was a long, drawn out process that the people at Maslen helped me through, without the impression that it was a chore. So extremely professional...

    Mr McLagan Lewes Road

  • A really good experience.

    Mr Tibble Lewes Road

  • Very impressed with the efficient and friendly service, the staff were a pleasure to deal with. 

    Mr & Mrs Gill Lewes Road

  • Maslens as a whole were really friendly and professional. I have to thank and congratulate Paula Carter for being superb at her job and exceeding m...

    Ms Warren Hove

  • A good team at Woodingdean helped us through a stressful time.

    Mr & Mrs Penton Sycamore Close

  • Best Agents in Brighton.

    Mrs Field Tarner Road

  • First class service. Friendly and professional.

    Mr Thorne The Avenue

  • Thanks for an excellent service. 

    Mr King Hove

  • Very, very happy we chose you, felt right from the start! Thank you!

    Miss Blackadder Coniston Court, Holland Road

  • Thanks David, all very professional.

    Mrs Flowers Foxdown Road

  • Thank you Maslens, you were all excellent!

    Miss Jasper Taunton Road

  • The whole team were very committed from start to finish.

    Mr Pilgrim Lewes Road

  • Brilliant. Well done to Sharon and the Woodingdean team.

    Ms Curtis The Ridgway

  • All very professional, kept updated throughout. Very pleased - Would recommend. 

    Mrs Hammond Hove

  • Ben was particularly enthusiastic and helpful. Martin, Paula, Sam and Will are all hard workers.

    Ms Goodey Franklin Road

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