A Guide For Sellers
The Selling Processfrom valuation to keys
Selling a home is one of the most significant transactions you will ever make. This guide takes you through every stage, what we do at each step, and what you can expect from us.
Honest advice, even when it is not the answer you hoped for.
Our role is to make the process as clear, professional and stress-free as possible — from the first valuation to the moment we hand over the keys.
Transparency at every stage. Market-led advice. Proactive communication. No tie-in contracts.
If anything is unclear at any point, please ask. We would much rather answer a question now than leave you wondering.
The Journey
Five Steps, so you always know where you are
The sale of a residential property in England follows a well-established sequence. These timings are typical for the current North and East London market — your sale may move faster or slower depending on the chain, the buyer’s funding, and the complexity of the title.
Preparation
Valuation, instruction, marketing setup. Week 0–2.
Marketing
Listings go live; we manage enquiries and viewings. Weeks 1–8.
Sale agreed
We negotiate, qualify the buyer, issue the memorandum. Week 4–10.
Conveyancing
Searches, enquiries, contracts, exchange. 8–12 weeks.
Completion
Funds transfer; keys released. 1–28 days after exchange.
Step One
Preparation
Valuation
Our valuation is the foundation of a successful sale. We base ours on three things: recent comparable sales agreed and completed in your immediate area, current buyer demand on our register and the major portals, and our own day-to-day experience of what is selling and at what price.
We will give you an honest, market-led figure, even where that is not the highest figure you have been quoted. Inflated valuations are the single biggest cause of properties sticking on the market — and a stale listing almost always sells for less than a correctly priced one.
We will also offer practical advice on presenting your home: simple, low-cost adjustments often add far more value than expensive ones.
Instruction and the legal basics
Once you have decided to instruct us, we will issue our Sales Vendor Terms of Business. Please read these before signing — your attention is drawn in particular to the clauses on agency type, fees, and the right to cancel.
Before we can begin marketing we are required by law to:
Verify your identity
Under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017, as amended. We arrange this through our identity-check partner.
Confirm ownership
That you are the legal owner of the property, or are otherwise authorised to sell it.
Obtain a valid EPC
An Energy Performance Certificate. Marketing can begin once the EPC has been ordered.
Disclose Material Information
Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, enforced by the Competition and Markets Authority — tenure, council tax band, service charges and ground rent where applicable.
Photography, floorplans and brochure
We arrange professional photography and a measured floorplan as standard. Where the layout supports it we photograph every room, not just the headline ones — buyers researching online want to imagine themselves living there, and the more accurate detail we give them, the more qualified the viewings.
Each property is given a digital A4 and A5 brochure containing the description, photographs, floorplan and tenure information, distributed electronically to our buyer database.
Tenure information we need before going live
| Freehold | Share of freehold | Leasehold |
|---|---|---|
| Council Tax band | Length of underlying lease | Length of underlying lease |
| — | Annual service charge | Annual service charge / ground rent |
| — | Council Tax band | Council Tax band |
Step Two
Marketing and viewings
Modern property marketing is dominated by a small number of high-traffic platforms. We use them all, alongside our direct buyer register — which is often the source of our quickest sales.
The major portals
Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket. Listings refresh overnight, with viewing requests routed straight to your dedicated agent.
Our website
Including premium placement for new instructions.
Our applicant database
The active buyers we have already qualified, and are matching daily.
Social and email
Targeted, visual-first content for the right audiences.
‘For Sale’ boards
Where appropriate and permitted.
Viewings
Viewings are arranged at times that suit you. We never enter the property without your prior agreement, and where the property is tenanted we give at least 24 hours’ notice and remain mindful of the occupants’ privacy.
After every viewing we collect feedback and pass it on, usually within 24 hours. If a pattern emerges — repeated comments about a particular feature, or about the asking price — we will share that with you and discuss whether any adjustment to the strategy is sensible.
Accompanied viewings
Wherever possible we conduct viewings ourselves rather than asking you to. We are trained to read buyer cues, answer technical questions confidently, and handle objections — all of which materially affects the chances of an offer.
Step Three
Offers and sale agreed
A strong offer is not just a price. It is a price plus a credible ability to complete.
Every offer we receive will be presented to you in writing, together with the buyer’s position — cash or mortgage-backed, in a chain or chain-free, and what their timescales are.
We will negotiate on your behalf and give you our honest view on whether to accept, counter or hold firm. The decision is always yours.
Qualifying the buyer
Before we mark the property as Sale Agreed, we verify the buyer’s funding position. Where a mortgage is involved we ask to see an Agreement in Principle from a mainstream lender. For cash purchases we ask for evidence of funds. We are also required to carry out anti-money-laundering checks on every buyer under the 2017 Regulations.
Memorandum of Sale
Once you accept an offer we issue a Memorandum of Sale to both sides and to both parties’ solicitors, which formally starts the conveyancing process. From this point the sale is agreed in principle but not legally binding — either party can still withdraw until exchange of contracts.
Choosing a solicitor
Conveyancing is the single biggest variable in how long a transaction takes. A responsive, experienced conveyancer can save you weeks; a slow one can lose you the buyer.
Instruct a solicitor or licensed conveyancer at the point of going to market, not after a sale is agreed — title information and management-pack requests can take weeks to come back.
If you do not have a preferred solicitor we are happy to recommend firms we have worked with and trust to be responsive. We do not receive any referral fee for these introductions.
Step Four
Conveyancing and exchange
Behind the scenes, your solicitor and the buyer’s solicitor are working through the contract pack, the searches and the enquiries.
- 01
The contract pack
Title deeds, the Property Information Form (TA6), Fittings and Contents Form (TA10) and — for leasehold — the Leasehold Information Form (TA7) and management pack.
- 02
Searches and enquiries
Local authority, water and drainage, and environmental searches, plus any pre-contract enquiries raised by the buyer’s solicitor.
- 03
Mortgage and survey
The buyer’s mortgage offer, where applicable, and the surveyor’s report.
- 04
Completion date agreed
Both solicitors settle on a date that works for everyone in the chain.
Our role during conveyancing
Our involvement does not end at sale agreed. We chase both solicitors weekly, escalate where things stall, and keep you and the buyer informed. Most fall-throughs are caused by silence and frustration on one side or the other. Our job is to keep information moving.
Exchange of contracts
At exchange, both parties sign and the contracts are formally exchanged between solicitors. The buyer pays a deposit — usually 10% of the purchase price — and the completion date is fixed. From this moment the transaction becomes legally binding; neither side can withdraw without significant financial penalty. In practice, sales falling apart after exchange is extremely rare.
Between exchange and completion
Use this window to arrange your move: book removals, give notice on utilities, and arrange final meter readings for the day of completion. We will send you a checklist.
Step Five
Completion
On the day, the buyer’s solicitor transfers the balance of the purchase price to your solicitor. Once your solicitor confirms the funds have cleared, they call us and we release the keys.
Timing
Usually by lunchtime, but it depends on when funds arrive — which depends on the buyer’s lender. We keep you updated through the morning.
Your money
Your solicitor settles outstanding balances on your behalf, including redemption of your existing mortgage, our fee and their own costs. The net proceeds are transferred to you.
Afterwards
We remain on hand — to forward post, recommend tradespeople, or help with an onward purchase. We never lose interest once the keys have been handed over.
Our regulatory memberships
- The Property Redress Scheme — government-approved redress scheme
- Client Money Protect — client money protection scheme
- Information Commissioner’s Office — registered data controller (ZA242204)
- Appointed representative of Danire Services Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
If something goes wrong
If you are unhappy with any aspect of our service, please tell us. Our Complaints Handling Procedure sets out how we will acknowledge, investigate and respond, and your right to refer the matter to The Property Redress Scheme if you remain dissatisfied.
Thinking Of Selling?
Start With An Honest Conversationno obligation, no tie-in
Tell us about your property and we will tell you what we think it is worth, and why. If the timing is not right, we will say so.
Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. We are required by law to ensure that information about your property is accurate and not misleading. Please review the sales particulars carefully and tell us promptly of any errors, omissions or material changes.
These guidance notes are for information only and do not form part of any contract between us. The terms of our engagement are set out in our Sales Vendor Terms of Business.
Element Properties Alexandra Park Ltd, trading as Element Properties & Co. Registered in England and Wales, company number 10351289. Registered office: 26 Palace Gates Road, London, N22 7BN. The Selling Process, version 2026.1 — effective from 1 May 2026.