Straightforward estate agency advice for UK homeowners.
A buyer’s solicitor has asked for the building regulations completion certificate for the loft, and the drawer is empty. Here’s what that actually means for a sale in 2026, from the lender’s questions to regularisation, indemnity policies and the realistic cost of putting the paperwork right.
A check-in isn’t a formality to rush through before the kettle goes on. Here’s how tenants can build a calm, useful record of the property on day one — meters, marks and all — without turning it into a fight.
A buyer turning up with a builder for the second viewing can feel like an ambush, but it is usually a sign they are serious. Here is how sellers can prepare, handle rough-and-ready repair estimates, and keep any renegotiation anchored in evidence rather than hallway scare stories.
The neighbour question on the TA6 form trips up more sellers than almost any other. Here's how to work out what counts as a dispute, answer it honestly, and keep your sale on track.
Most sellers negotiate the commission and skim the agreement. That is the wrong way round: tie-ins, withdrawal fees and the difference between sole, joint sole and multi-agency can cost far more than a fraction of a percentage point. Here is how to read the paperwork before you sign.
A sought-after school can shape a house hunt, but an address near the gate is not a guaranteed place. Here’s how admissions criteria, sibling rules, faith places and shifting catchments really work — and what buyers and sellers should check before anyone starts talking up the school link.
Parking rarely tops a buyer's wish list, but it often decides whether they come back for a second viewing. A practical look at driveways, permit zones and EV charging — and how to present whatever parking you have.
A buyer's survey can land like a list of everything wrong with your house — and it rarely is. Most of it is standard wording, ordinary wear and a polite nudge to check something. Here's how to respond calmly, with evidence, sensible fixes or plain honesty.
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An instant online estimate and a proper in-person appraisal can differ by twenty thousand pounds on the same house, and both can be defensible. Here is what each figure actually measures, how to tell a real valuation from a lazy one, and how to land on a 2026 asking price that neither scares buyers off nor gives the house away.
Buyers form a verdict long before they reach the room that actually sells the house. Here is a practical, room-by-room plan for the entrance, hallway and first few metres of a viewing, plus the small fixes that stop people mentally knocking money off an otherwise good home.
A short, honest walkthrough video can answer the questions buyers ask before they book a viewing — and gently filter out the ones who were never serious. Here’s how UK sellers can film one without turning it into a production.
Before you fall for the flat, read the paperwork. From escalating ground rent to building safety information, here are the leasehold documents UK buyers should ask for in 2026 — and the red flags that justify walking away.
When a sale drags, renting the place out can look like the obvious Plan B. But becoming an accidental landlord is a financial and practical decision, not a parking space for a property. Here is the honest checklist and decision tree to run before you change the board.
The estate agency fee is the number everyone talks about, but it is rarely the whole bill. From EPC updates and legal searches to leasehold packs and mortgage redemption, here is the seller's cost map to ask about before you accept an offer.
Testing the market with a high asking price feels safe, but the first fortnight of buyer attention is hard to get back. Here is why a later reduction often costs UK sellers more than it saves, and how to set a launch price that actually gets people through the door.
When a buyer's mortgage collapses, the instinct is to panic. The better move is to work through a calm, practical checklist in the first two days, protect the rest of the chain and relaunch the listing with a clear head.
Every November someone tells you the market shuts down until spring. It doesn't. Here's a practical, low-drama look at what actually happens to viewings, buyers and offers in the final weeks of 2026 — and how to make the darker months work for you.
A bigger number on a piece of paper is not the same as money in your account on completion day. An honest look at chains, mortgage applications, survey renegotiations and the judgement calls that decide whether a sale actually happens.