Valuations booked in over the next week - here we go

[BG2015]

Not sold or bought since 2014 and that experience was an absolute nightmare. Selling with my ex who was awful and money grabbing and buying off someone who was also selling with her ex and was also vile and stalled every thing he could.

I know how stressful it can be but we are selling to downsize and become mortgage free.

House will go on the market in late January once we've just tweaked a few things, then the fun will really start

If anyone has any words of wisdom to make it a smooth experience I would love to hear them.

I'm a bit older and wiser now but advice would be good.

I guess at this stage the best advice is just to make sure you appoint a good EA in January. Don’t just go for the cheapest one necessarily, go for the one that has the best track record in selling properties in your local area. I would be looking at Rightmove for houses in your area for sale & sold to get an idea of which agents post good photos and descriptions and get houses sold. Try phoning the office to see how good they are at being responsive to calls.

Also don’t spend too much money on trying to get your house ready but do declutter before the photos get taken.

The price of the house - and as Twiglets1 said the best agent won't be the cheapest.
I would be asking each agent not "how much can you get for the house ?" BUT ""where do we need to be on price to attract as much attention as possible and secure a sale quickly ?"
Spring is likley to bring a raft of new bad news about the state of the market - that will further dent values. Plan to have secured a sale before that happens.
I comend your plan to get mortgage free, good luck.

Yes I agree with @DrySherry don't necessarily go with the EA who gives the highest valuation. Most of them value high just to secure the business. Do your own research now into what comparable properties are actually selling for & be realistic at the price point you put it on at.

Get 2 or 3 valuations and ask the EAs to see details of comparable properties they have sold in the last few months - not from 2022!

Ask them what their sales progression strategy is (holding a chain together). If you don't like their answer, show them the door.

Underprice the house by 10% less than recent sales in the area, it will get you far more interest than 'testing the market' by pricing higher will. You might even get a bidding war.

Be wary of agents selling add ons: conveyancing, mortgage brokers, cheap EPCs. They don't really care about selling your house, because they make so much in kick backs from these, even if they do not.

Do not use an online only agent.

Use the best conveyencer you can. Preferably local, on the RICS list, and, if possible, ones who only do conveyancing for a living.

All of the above, plus ask about their marketing strategies - make sure they use RM, and ask about Zoopla, On The Market and Prime Location and if they have any affiliated offices where your property can get more exposure.

Most important, make sure every member of the EA team involved in your house sale visits the property before it's launched.
Although it sounds like a faff, showing around 3-4 members of the EA team really pays off. They get to understand your house and why you like living there. They can ask questions that viewers might ask.
The EA on our previous sale used temps/Saturday staff to show potential buyers around the house. They had never even been in the property before, and they didn't know anything about it or its layout. Such a waste of those precious first viewings, and we didn't get any offers through them.
When we changed EA with a more attentive team we got an offer in the first week.
Good luck with it all.