This content applies to England only.

Housing laws vary between England and Scotland. Get advice relating to Scotland

Selling property usually involves a lot of negotiation with estate agents, solicitors and mortgage lenders as well as with potential buyers.

What will be involved

Once you decide to sell, the process usually involves:

• step 1 - finding an estate agent (if you use one)
• step 2 - accepting an offer
  
• step 3 - the buyer getting a valuation and/or survey or homebuyer's report
• step 4 - the legal preparation (conveyancing)
• step 5 - exchange of contracts
• step 6 - completion date.

The process of selling a home is basically the same, regardless of whether you are a freeholder or a leaseholder. The links from this page give more information about what's involved at each stage.

The process may be slightly different if your home has been repossessed and your lender is selling it to get back the money you owe. If you are in this situation, contact a local Shelter advice centre or Citizens Advice for help and advice. Use our directory to find one.

Potential problems with the sale

Selling your home can be complicated and time consuming, particularly if you and/or the buyer are selling one home to buy another. Problems can arise at any stage in the process and may cause long delays. For example:

• you may not be happy with the service you get from your estate agent
• the buyer may reduce her/his offer
• the survey or homebuyer's report could show major problems
• you may not be able to agree the conditions of the sale
• you (or the buyer) may have problems getting a formal mortgage offer
• the property may be damaged before the completion date.

There is always a risk that you (or the buyer) will decide to pull out before contracts are exchanged.

Selling a park home

If you are selling a park home (mobile home), the site owner may be entitled to around 10 per cent of the sale price. There may also be rules about who you can sell your home on to. For example, there may be rules that say you can only sell to older people or couples without children. Check what your contract with the site owner says about your rights and responsibilities. If there is anything you don't understand, get advice.

The costs involved

There are lots of hidden costs involved in selling, particularly if you are buying another property at the same time. You are likely to have to pay for lots of expenses before you move in to your new home.

If a sale falls through or you decide to accept a better offer from another buyer, both you and the buyer will probably lose any money that you have already spent in connection with the sale.

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