While this is a figure for the whole county, properties in Guildford sell for £611,000 on average or £647,000 in Dorking. Homes in Leatherhead sell for more – £815,000, and if you’re looking at Thames Ditton, by the river, or desirable Cobham, the average selling price topped £1million.
If recent house price rises have got you considering a move, within Surrey or further afield, you’re probably thinking about your finances. To work out how much money you’ll have to spend on a new home, you need to add up the costs to sellers of putting a house on the market.
To help you, we’ve pulled together an essential guide to the cost of selling a Surrey home.
Despite the growth of online estate agents, most people still choose to use traditional estate agents. High street agents usually charge a percentage of the selling price, plus VAT.
It is a good idea to compare at least three before making a decision. How much estate agents charge will vary – they may offer you a low fee if they really like your house and believe they can sell it for a premium or if they want more business in your location.
You will pay a higher percentage commission if you place your home on the market with more than one agent. In most cases, you will only pay the fee if the house actually sells. Currently many Surrey agents are quoting fees of between 1 and 2% – equivalent to between £6,500 and £13,000 on a £650,000 house sale.
Don’t necessarily go for the cheapest agent or the one valuing your home the highest, look at other factors including reviews, personal recommendations, their proposed strategy for selling your home and their track record in the area.
Before your home goes on the marker you will need to have a valid energy performance certificate (EPC). An EPC provides information about the energy efficiency of your property using a scale from A to G – A being the most efficient and G the least. EPCs last for 10 years, so if you already have one, you don’t need to repeat the process. Otherwise, you will need to arrange an inspection by an accredited assessor. The cost will vary depending on the company you use but should be in the region of £50 to £120.
There are two possible mortgage costs to consider if you are selling your home – mortgage exit fees and early repayment charges.
A mortgage exit administration fee is the charge your lender makes to close your mortgage file when your mortgage balance is cleared. Not all lenders make these charges but they could cost you up to £300.
You may be faced with early repayment charges, of between 1% and 5% of your loan, if you pay off your mortgage early. This is often the case if you wish to repay a fixed rate mortgage before the term is up. Details of these fees should be included in your original mortgage documentation, so it’s worth checking.
You will need to appoint a solicitor or licensed conveyancer to deal with the legal aspects of selling your home. Some will charge you a fee based on a percentage of the value of your property, while others will charge a flat rate. Conveyancing fees for selling a property are usually lower than for buying and range from around £400 to £1,500. If you are buying a property at the same time, you can often save money by using the same conveyancer.
Fees will be higher if you are selling a leasehold property because there is additional work involved. You may also have to pay for services including for a copy of title deeds held by the Land Registry, money-laundering checks and bank transfer fees.
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Removals could set you back between £250 and £4,000. How much you pay will depend on the size of your Surrey house, how many possessions you have and how much time you want to devote to packing and unpacking. If you’re relocating far from Surrey, this could be a factor too, as is putting belongings into storage.
It’s worth getting quotes, checking reviews and finding out as much as you can about the company before you sign up.
If you are selling is a second home, buy-to-let investment or inherited property, you may need to pay Capital Gains Tax on its rise in value. You may be able deduct the cost of any improvement work you’ve carried out and also some of the costs of buying and selling – get advice from an accountant. As a seller you will not be liable for stamp duty as this tax is paid by the buyer.
Making your home as appealing as possible to prospective buyers is crucial to getting a sale and achieving the best price for the property. A lot of the work you’ll need to do is cosmetic – cleaning, decluttering, tidying and making minor repairs. If there is a major issue, such as damp or a leaky roof, you will need to consider whether to pay to have the work done or offer a reduction on the sale price.
Calculate the proceeds of your sale by subtracting your mortgage balance + the costs of selling from the sale price. You should also subtract any money you spend on home improvements as well as your initial deposit and the costs of purchasing the property to work out your net profit.
If you are planning to sell a property in Surrey, we can help. Contact us today to arrange a valuation and discuss how we could develop the best strategy to sell your home.
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