Talk me through selling please

[Blackfellpony]

Firstly what jobs should we do? Is it worth giving everything a lick of paint?
House is generally in good condition except a few broken handles here and there, should we make everything new or do people accept this sort of thing in an old house?
Garden is small and muddy (it's winter and we have 2 German shepherds!) is this likely to put people off?

We also have original wood flooring, it's chipped but still looks reasonable, is it worth spending the money having it redone if someone may just carpet it?

Also what order do we do things. Is it valuation, mortgage, put up for sale and then look for somewhere or is this order completely wrong?
At what point do we get a solicitor?

Thank you!

I'd suggest valuation (get three agents round - they can advise if it would be better to do some painting,etc) then see a mortgage broker to get advice on how much you can borrow (see a Whole of Market or Independent - trust me if they charge they will be worth their money) then instruct the agent who you most trust and has a good reputation and sold board count in your area.

Then look (sorry pressed post too soon)

Thank you pulling!

The last house on our street sold in days so I'm a bit worried we won't find something we like in that time but hopefully something will come up! Ours may take longer to sell anyway.

So a broker is better than direct? We are currently stuck in a fixed rate so may not be able to get away from our current lender as we will be charged I think. We weren't planing on moving yet but DH got a promotion and we need more space so need to bite the bullet.

We paid the charges to move from our original mortgage provider. No deal they could provide came anywhere near what we could get elsewhere so it would have cost us more to stay with them. Start looking now - at least on Rightmove, etc to see what's out there and what you like and can likely afford. You can use online calculators to work out what you can borrow. You'll need to know the rough amount outstanding on your current mortgage. Don't forget stamp duty as a cost of moving you'll need to factor in.

I put my house on the market just before Christmas and I'm wondering about the same things OP. My house is quite tired after years being a skint single parent. I hired carpet cleaner and am in the process of refreshing the paintwork and filling holes etc..
I also bought the odd picture, rug cushion to make things look bit more pulled together.
I found the estate agents offered a wealth of advice (some conflicting) and have secured a mortgage in principle through an advisor.(We spoke to one independent and one linked to EA) We will be charged £499 when actual application goes forward)
My budget is limited so I am keenly viewing everything I can as I don't want to end up with not having a house to move into.
We have instructed a solicitor already using one recommended by EA and had the energy cert done a while back.
I've never sold before as I bought my home when I was 21 in the 80s so this is all new to me too. Things seem a lot 'slicker' than I remember.
Good Luck OP.

Go to a broker. They will be able to arrange the porting of the mortgage and a top up if required. They will also review all your related insurances which you should do anyway.

I would get any little job done first. When I was selling my old house, the porch door looked a bit messy. Had some viewings but no buyers. Spent £70 to change the door and the very next person who viewed our house, bought it. And they payed more than what I was expecting.

Do as much preparation as you can in advance.

As a first step, go to your existing lender and see what they can offer, or what penalties they will impose. And whether they will let you port the mortgage to a new property. Then I would phone someone like London and Country (no fee, no obligation) and see what might be available.

Tidy the garden, front and back. We got a a gardener in for a day, who pruned back bushes and had everything looking good, which was money well spent. Otherwise, just clean everything and get the bathroom looking shiny, put as much as you can away, and perhaps get a handyman in for a day to tackle small maintenance items. (Its often cheaper than DIY as they have the tools.) Remove as much evidence as you can of dogs. And consider dressing the house for photos and viewings, but displaying a nice vase or bowl perhaps containing flowers from Lidl, having beds made with white linen and a contrasting cushion, a couple of new looking folded towels hanging in the bathroom etc. Borrow if need be. Take advice from estate agents (have three round early on and interview them about the local market and what could improve your sale prospects) or sensible friends about cosmetic improvements like painting. Perhaps get a rug to cover worn floor.

Ask around now about solicitors. You often get what you pay for and it can really help to have a local solicitor who is respected by local agents. You only instruct them when you are ready to proceed.

Start looking early. Get to know the streets you are interested in, what you can get for your money and where you might have to compromise. So if and when you have an offer, you can move quickly in offering on something or viewing something new to the market.

Gather together any documentation you have for any work done on the house in the last few years - replaced doors and windows, any roof work, any building work etc.

Assess each room critically and consider what needs to be done to get it looking decent. Declutter, then declutter some more.

Get 3 estate agents around for valuations. Remember that you won't necessarily get what they quote so decide what the lowest price you'll accept is and then work out your budget from there (any equity you have in the house, savings etc)

Remember you will need to pay solicitor for both sale and purchase. The price varies, I spent about £2k on my recent sale and purchase. Don't forget stamp duty.

I wouldn't recommend using estate agent recommended mortgage broker or solicitor. My broker charged £250 and did all the work for me, well worth the money. My solicitor was excellent, and was happy to communicate by email which sped things up a bit.

The hardest thing is keeping house clean and tidy for viewings!

Thank you all of you! I think we are going to aim for end of February to be on the market.
Going to go around and fix everything broken in the next month.

There is literally nothing on the market at all at the moment suitable! I'm hoping it will pick up in the new year?

Can I port my mortgage to a different lender?