How to Sell a House in Wales

If you’re looking to move house in North Wales, you might be wondering if the time is right. As a leading estate agent in Llangefni, Bangor, Holyhead, Gwynedd and Anglesey we’re asked a lot of questions about this. People wonder if houses are selling in Wales right now and, more to the point if they are selling fast. 

It’s true that higher interest rates have put a squeeze on mortgages, meaning that buying a home is less affordable for some purchasers, reducing demand and house prices. 

However, buyers are still out there, and if you need to move for more space, a job or a school, there is no reason why you shouldn’t achieve a sale. 

The key to making a quick sale for the optimum price is presenting your home in the best way while getting the right advice from your estate agent team and being organised at every stage. To help you, we go through the sales process with tips for each step. 

1 Prepare your home for sale 

Start getting your home ready to sell as soon as possible. Be thorough and ruthless – you need to depersonalise the space so people can see themselves living there. The better your home looks, the more likely you are to get a quick sale: 

• Sort out any outstanding repair jobs. 
• Give it a lick of paint in light, neutral colours. 
• Declutter, removing as much as possible from all surfaces. 
• Put excessive furniture in storage to create more space. 

2 Find out how much your home is worth 

You need to know the likely selling price so you can work out how much you can afford if you are stepping up to a new home: 

• Use an instant valuation tool like this one on tppuk.com. 
• Better still, invite a qualified and experienced local agent like Williams & Goodwin to give you a market appraisal for a more accurate view. 
• Read more about valuations and appraisals on our blog. 

3 Decide how you want to sell your home 

Decide how you are going to sell your home – this will depend on your priorities – i.e. achieving the highest price vs securing a quick sale: 

High street agents

Most people go down the high street estate agent route, which gives you the support of a local estate agent, ideally with good knowledge of the market in your area. You will usually be charged commission as a percentage of the sale price, although some high street agents offer flat fees.

High street agents offer the most comprehensive level of service, liaising with your solicitor or conveyancer and potential buyers, taking on a significant amount of the work involved in selling a house. You might want to consider multiple listing with two or more agents if you are looking for a quick sale. 

Online agent

Online agents are an option, but they may charge you a flat fee upfront regardless of whether the home sells. You will need to do more of the work yourself, usually including conducting viewings. Some online agents work in a hybrid model, where local property professionals will offer to handle viewings for an additional fee. 

Auctioneer

Auctions might be the answer for quick sales and homes that are difficult to sell, but you need to understand how these work as the auctioning process can be complicated. For more help with this method, contact our All Wales Auction team on 01248250106. 

House buying company

If you’re desperate to move, house buying companies will offer to buy your home quickly. If you go down this route, shop around, read the small print carefully and get proper advice as often they may expect to buy at a heavy discount. 

Sell it yourself

You don’t have to use an agent at all, if you want to save on estate agent fees, but without one, you won’t be able to list your home on the property portals such as Rightmove and On The Market or, of course, tppuk.com, the leading property website for North Wales. 

4 Get an Energy Performance Certificate 

Every home on the market needs an energy performance certificate (EPC) to show its energy efficiency on a scale of A to G (with A being the most efficient). You don’t need a new one if your home has been sold within the past 10 years. However, if you’ve added energy efficient improvements, such as double glazing or insulation, it might be worth repeating the inspection to demonstrate your home’s credentials. 

5 Put your house on the market 

When your home is ready, it’s time to choose your estate agent. Don’t necessarily go for the highest valuation or cheapest fees. Instead, look at their track record of selling in the area. 

• Think carefully about pricing in the current market. Over-pricing your home could mean it lingers on the books for too long – get advice from your agent. 
• Check that your home’s marketing materials do it justice, with great photos and blurb that picks out all the key benefits, such as good schools and transport. 
• Get your viewings right – you only have one chance, so make sure the home is pristine. If your agent is conducting viewings, respond quickly with answers to any queries. 

6 Hire a conveyancing solicitor 

Conveyancing is the legal work associated with buying and selling. You will need to factor in conveyancing fees. Look for recommendations, good reviews and someone you can work with – don’t just go for the cheapest. 

The conveyancing process for buyers involves arranging property searches and surveys/home inspection, which can take several weeks. From a seller’s perspective, the conveyancing process involves completing property information forms, including a TA10 fixtures and fittings form. 

The seller’s conveyancer is also responsible for transferring the title deeds to the new owner, as well as the exchange of contracts. The full conveyancing process (buyer’s and seller’s side) can take up to 16 weeks from the offer being accepted to completion. 

7 Accept an offer 

When the offers come in, think about your priorities. Not all offers are the same, and a cash buyer in a strong position to move has more going for them than someone tied up in a long property chain. If a prospective buyer is in a property chain, there is more chance of your property sale falling through. 

Your estate agent may request that the prospective buyer who submits an offer obtains a mortgage in principle, to show that they will be accepted for the required mortgage amount. 

If you opted for a high street agent, they should handle offer negotiations on your behalf. There are lots of factors to consider when deciding whether to accept an offer. You should review the recent sale prices of similar properties in the area and see how hot the market is. If house sales have been slow, you might not achieve the same price as you would in a hot market. 

Accepting an offer is not legally binding, so you could still change your mind if another buyer comes in with a bigger offer. The sale agreement is not legally binding until the exchange of contracts. 

8 Exchange of contracts 

Your solicitor will agree on a date to exchange contracts with your buyer’s team. The solicitor for the buyer and the solicitor for the seller will do the exchange of contracts over recorded phone calls. The hard copies of the contracts will then be sent by post but the exchange has already been finalised in the phone calls between the solicitors. 

On the exchange date, your buyer will pay the deposit on the home, and the sale becomes legally binding for you both. 

If you are in a property chain, your solicitor will wait until there is confirmation that the rest of the chain is ready. This will prevent a situation where you have legally sold your house, but your purchase has not gone through, or vice versa. 

9 Move out and complete the sale 

The completion date is usually around two to four weeks after the exchange. It’s the day when ownership of the property changes from seller to buyer, so you need to be ready to hand over the keys and move out. If you’re part of a chain, all transactions will conclude at that time. 

You will need to make sure that the removal of all belongings from the property is completed prior to handing the keys back, and any documents related to appliances etc. are left for the home buyers. It is not a requirement for home sellers to clean the property but it is good courtesy to do so.  

Congratulations, your sale is complete! You will usually pay your conveyancing bill once the sale is finalised and pay any capital gains tax, if applicable. 

How long does it take to sell a house in North Wales? 

Selling a home usually takes between 17 and 34 weeks but there are many factors that can determine the speed of the home selling process. The location is one contributing factor, with houses in Llangollen taking an average of 101 days to sell, while properties in Tywyn took a longer average of 151 days to sell (data from Feb 2024). 

How much does it cost to sell a house in Wales? 

The cost of selling a house in Wales will vary depending on the value of the property and the option you choose for selling your home. 

As a guide, estate agent fees will usually be 1% to 3% and the average house price in North Wales in the last 12 months was around £225,000. So, based on a 2% estate agent fee, the average costs to sell your house in Wales would be approximately: 

• Estate agent fees – £4,500 
• Conveyancing fees – £1,100 
• Removal costs – £600 
• EPC – £120 Total: £6,320 

Bear in mind that the above costs will vary by property type, services provided and other factors. There may also be costs associated with moving your mortgage to consider. 

If you are considering selling your property in North Wales areas including Bangor and Holyhead, we can help. Our experienced team have helped many people move, some in complex situations. Almost half of our business comes from recommendations, demonstrating people trust us with their property. Get in touch today.