By maximise earnings with overtime do you mean build up savings for moving costs or do you mean to make your income look bigger to afford more? If the former, great plan. It costs quite a bit to move - stamp duty, estate agents fees, conveyancing (you’ll have a sale fee and a buying fee) and removals if you can afford it (I would highly recommend if you can). If the latter, I would be wary. Overtime isn’t guaranteed (even in a role that it can be guaranteed, the bank won’t see it that way) and it may affect your affordability because you can’t rely on that income.
Declutter and spruce things up a bit but don’t spend a fortune repainting because most buyers will out their own stamp on it.
Look on rightmove religiously for the search criteria your house will appear under. What is the asking price? How long are houses staying on for? Which agent is pricing high and reducing asking prices? Be honest about the state of your house, how does it compare to other properties on the market? Do certain locations attract a higher price? If time is on your side, follow the properties as they STC - which agent is getting them through fast (there will be other chain issues to consider but can be an indication).
Find a good mortgage broker, have a chat before going to any estate agents. Work out what your budget is, what are you happy going to. What is the minimum amount you need from your sale for an onwards move including fees? What deals are out there. You will need a Mortgage in Principle and an offer on your property for any estate agent to consider your offer seriously. You can get a mortgage in principle quite quickly but if you have it before viewing you won’t need to sit with the estate agents in-house brokers (which are going to give you a worse deal than an independent).
Get at least 3 estate agents out for a valuation. Ask about their fee breakdown and understand exactly what you are getting for their service. Ask for recommendations (and who to avoid). You’ve then got to go with your gut a bit - who do you get a good vibe from, who do you trust, who has given you a price around the mark you thought based on your research. Don’t be afraid to haggle - they want your business “I spoke with Slightly Less Trustworthy and Sons, we really like your organisation and think you’ll do a great job but they were throwing in a free floor plan…”
When you get viewings, try to get them grouped together if you can but it doesn’t always work out that way. Some estate agents might let you view when you don’t have an offer, some won’t so view houses you like when you can but do not get too emotionally attached to any property you see. Especially at this stage.
If you have an offer on your house that you are happy to accept, time to start hunting in earnest. If nothing is coming up, keep communicating with your buyer. Reassure them you are looking. When you find a house you like - think about living there. Where does the ironing board go? Where do they store the Hoover or towels and toilet roll? Where does the kitchen bin go? Do you have to take your wheelie bin out through a narrow gate, how much of a pain in the arse is that going to be? When was the boiler installed, when was it last serviced? If you put an offer in that is accepted, your solicitor will do other things like flooding, damp, building regs. When you go to offer, you’ll have a good idea of whether it is overpriced based on the research you’ve been doing. But an important question to ask yourself, particularly if you do get emotionally attached, is what level are you going to kick yourself for letting it go at? So if your max budget is £200K and the house is on for £190K, you can afford it. You might feel like it’s overpriced and it’s probably £180K, so absolutely offer that especially in this market but if they don’t accept that, would you be happy for someone else getting it for £190K or even £200K? Knowing you could afford that. If you don’t want someone else to get it at your ceiling price, don’t mess around with low-balling too much.
When you have an offer, you’ve put an offer in, it’s time to find a conveyancer. Some firms offer this service but I would go for an independent. Again ask for recommendations. They will sen you forms, get the back as soon as can. Answer their calls and emails as best you can. Hope and pray it goes through quickly and easily but this is the point you might want to consider drinking or setting up camp in your estate agents office. Continue decluttering, have a chat to some removal companies if using them and start to get quotes. Start buttering up friends if not.
If everything gets to the point of almost being done - all the paperwork is done, your conveyancers will try to find an exchange and completion date with you and the rest of the chain. This is when you start booking leave from work, firming up dates with removals, roping in friends to help. Exchange is when you exchange contracts. Anyone in the chain can back out (assumig you’re in England as I think some of the other countries have a more sensible system) up to this point. You’ll get a call from your conveyancer asking if you are happy to exchange contacts and you’ll agree. They’ll call everyone else in the chain. They will confirm when the contracts have exchanged. On completion day, they’ll start at the bottom of the chain and transfer the funds from the mortgage provider to the first property in the chain and buy that and so on all the way up the chain. At some point you’ll get a call to say your property has gone through and you need to vacate the property. You need to leave it empty and ideally clean so if moving yourself you should hire a van a day or two before. You then go to your estate agent and hand over your keys and wait for your purchase to go through. Usually in a McDonalds or similar with all your worldly possessions in a van. It’s very strange.
You’ll want someone driving the van for you and you in your car. In your car you will want your cleaning things, a box of medicines (anything you take plus pain killers, plasters), tea/coffee, kettle, mugs, phone chargers other really important stuff an anything to get through the first couple of nights. Label this box ‘important shit’ and agree with anyone else you are moving with where that box goes - on the kitchen counter and is the only box on the kitchen counter so you can find your important shit! Gradually start unpacking and enjoy your new home.