Selling Process

To request a free valuation of your property you can either call, email, come into our office or complete the valuation request form on this website. We will carry out an extensive and thorough valuation of your property in order to advise and guide you on the current market conditions and help you achieve the best possible price for your property. We will provide you with comparables of other properties in the area that are similar to your own, to show how accurate our valuations are. We want to work with you to maximise your property's potential to Sell.

Finding an Estate Agent close to you is by no means a difficult task, with over a hundred scattered across Bromley and the South-East. But finding the RIGHT agent is far more challenging. That is why De Scotia aim to exceed general expectations of what an Agent should be by offering a unique and tailored service to our Vendors, keeping you informed and at ease every step of the way.

We can advise you on a solicitor to use when selling your home through De Scotia. We work alongside excellent solicitors who keep all parties in the loop throughout the selling process, with weekly updates (minimum) and are easily contactable via both phone and email. If you have your own solicitor in mind then rest assured we will contact them regularly to track the progression of the sale and keep both sides informed throughout.

In order to maximise the potential of Selling your property, we use professional cameras and software to provide photos that truly capture your property in the best light, enhancing its appeal to possible purchasers. We may ask you to adjust or rearrange furniture or items in the property for the photos, to emphasise the layout and size of a room / area that may otherwise be difficult to view. We will always provide you with advice on how to really ‘sell’ your property and give you honest feedback following viewings that take place.

All of our viewings are accompanied by an Agent from our office, unless this is otherwise agreed with the Tenant / Vendor and the potential purchaser, i.e the viewing is on a Sunday or out of office opening hours. We feel it is best to accompany viewings, so that there is no awkwardness which could occur if a Purchaser and Vendor / Tenant were to meet face to face alone for a viewing. It also means that things are mediated, with the purchaser having to discuss offers or negotiations with the agent rather than direct to the Vendor.

Once viewings are underway, you may receive an offer on your property. We usually keep the property on the market, but refrain from carrying out further viewings whilst a purchaser is going through the relevant legal processes. If an applicant puts in an offer below the asking price then we will discuss this with you in order to negotiate until an agreed price is reached, or the property is put back on the market for further viewings.

If you decide to go ahead with an offer that has been put forward to you, a letter will be sent out to both parties and we will then require solicitor’s details to get the Sale in motion. Once the solicitors are instructed and the memorandum of sale has been sent out to the solicitors acting for the Purchaser and the Vendor, the sale is officially underway. The legal process begins and there will be several stages involved before the property reaches exchange. A Survey will most likely be carried out as instructed by the purchaser, a mortgage offer will need to be issued (if not a cash buyer) and various enquiries and checks will be made.

Many buyers require mortgages. When all the pre – contract work (Enquiries before Contract, Local Authority Search, Lease and Mortgage) has been completed and is satisfactory, the Purchasers solicitor will report to his client on the matter and arrange for his client to sign the contract. The contract is signed by the buyer(s) and seller(s) and the deposit (usually 10% of the purchase price) is either telegraphically transferred or paid by the buyer’s solicitor, by banker’s draft. The completion date is set at this stage.

On the completion day the Purchasers solicitor will pay the money over to the Vendors solicitor and receive the title deeds and other documents. The keys to the property will be handed over to the Purchaser and possession of the property given. After completion as far as the Purchaser himself is concerned the matter is concluded, although there is still further work to be carried out by the solicitor. Stamp Duty (if applicable) has to be paid and the documents prepared for, and sent to the Land registry in order to register the property into the Purchasers name. After registration the Deeds are sent direct to the Purchaser’s Lender.