Putting my house on the market

I’m not assuming for one moment that you would, but a lot of people do and regret it.
Employing a cheap solicitor.

I haven't sold a house for ages, so feel free to ignore me, but I would say to start by thinking of who is likely to buy yours, and try to show that it would be a suitable place for them to live.

Only you (with the help of the Estate Agent) will know who it will appeal to (people like you were when you bought it, probably) but as an example, if it is a family house, show that there is somewhere to watch TV, and somewhere else to listen to music or read without being disturbed. If you can show an 'office' space, whether it is a box room, or just an alcove somewhere that will be a big help nowadays. It sounds as though the house is quite large (as you have five large bits of furniture leaving), so you could show that it is suitable for entertaining friends - that sort of thing.

Be aware of restaurants, cafes, theatres etc, whether you use them yourself or not, and be able to talk about them if asked.

Get bus and train timetables, so if people ask about accessibility you can answer, and look up local schools. If their OFSTED results are good, print them off or make a note of the url to tell buyers with children (if the results aren't great, just ignore it and let them look it up).

I don't know what the market is like where you are, or what deals are available with EAs, but the best deals are 'no sale, no fee' ones, if you can get them. That way, if the house sits on the market for too long you can switch without fees, but watch for tie-in clauses such as those who say that if it sells within 6 months you have to pay them as well as the selling agent.

That's all I can think of for now, but good luck, and keep posting so we can chip in with other ideas as we have them.

I would look on Rightmove or whatever is similar in your neck of the woods.
And do a lot of copying what they do.

For reason I wont go in to, I have looked a lot on it in the last 6 months.

Some of the houses are remarkably clutter free[not all of them].
Sorry to have to tell you that.

Flowers on the table.
A nice runner along the dining table.
Things like that.

Gardens are not often that tidy I have to say. On the ones I have seen.

Also, the market[at least in England] has slowed down a lot.
Cost of living. And war in Iran.
But also, people think about the cost they bought a house for, how much they have spent doing it up.
And some then decide not to move because they are not getting the prices they want.

Decluttering* for the advertising photos is very important. Also, ‘depersonalising’ is liked by the selling agents, so remove all family photos and trinkets etc.

*If there’s stuff you want to keep you can either keep it in a garage or rent a storage unit for a while. Almost all our possessions went into storage for three months when we moved, and I can say that in truth, we missed very little of it.

As you’re in Scotland you’ll be needing a home report. Make sure all your lightbulbs are the most modern, energy saving version. It’s a cheap and easy fix that can upgrade you on the energy report!

In England you can’t offer on a property unless your property has an offer too and in some cases vendors can refuse a viewing unless house owners have an offer. Make sure your estate agent prices your property realistically, when my DD and SiL sold their’s last year it stuck for ages until they reduced it quite a bit because the agent had over priced it.
We are decluttering but not moving, just sick of stuff everywhere. For the small stuff, bric a brac etc., ring round local charity shops and try to get them to pick it up if is tricky for you to drop it off, otherwise just do the rounds to your fav charities.
Remind yourself that if something isn’t overwhelmingly sentimental and has been in a drawer or cupboard for many years and close family don’t want it, then it has to go.
Is hard.

Don’t forget kerbside appeal. Very important.

When we sold Mums house after she went into care, she had a junk room which was full. The estate agent photo shopped it so it looked empty on the brochure! Once sold we had a clearance company to take anything we couldn't remove.

Thank you everyone.
I have a solicitor/agent and I actually have a prospective buyer but he isn't in a position to buy yet and I am getting desperate hence going to have photographers round etc.

I had a home report done for him but that's out of date now.

It's a very big property so a limited market.
I haven't the time, expertise or the money to make the improvements it needs so it will be a doer-upper for anyone.

Did you need to sell before you bought?

Staging your house - as they apparently call it these days - usually just means shoving clutter you haven’t yet got rid of into cupboards etc., if you have pets burn a scented candle or two, put any throws in the wash or toast some bread and waft it about just before the viewing and no matter how friendly your dog or cat is make sure you take your dog with you and put the cat out if you can. I viewed some houses with my DD because my SiL often works away, and was surprised at the fact some owners leave their dog in the house. A house cat I can understand but was a bit off putting to have a large shaggy dog being a bit too friendly when we visited. We barely looked at the house were just glad to get out.
Have every faith you will do this but it isn’t going to be easy, just brace yourself and try to take it in your stride.
All the best.

The last person[again in England] that I know of who had a big property to sell[talking lots of outside barns etc], it took two years to sell.
It was running as a business. I dont know if that made any difference at all. A B&B.

Holiday cottages as well.

After many moves, I would say sell before you buy is rule number 1.

Nobody wants a stream of people coming into their home who aren't in a position to buy it. Nor do you want to set your heart on something only to find you lose out because yours hasn't sold.

Declutter as much as you possibly can. As said upthread, de-personalise - no photos, few trinkets and knick knacks. Your taste won't be everyone's and some people don't have the vision to see beyond what is in front of them at that moment.

On my last move - hopefully my last as it gets more difficult as you get older - I paid for the removal firm to do the packing. I think it was an 4 or 5 hundered but worth every single penny. I did hardly anything and they came the day before the move and packed everything - left me enough for that night and did the rest the next morning.

Good luck!

Honestly? I wouldn’t bother doing or spending very much.

Most people can see through a bit of “selling decluttering, dressing and decor”

Make the very most of the “highlights” of your home, ensure it’s very clean and smells good.

Ensure you have any guarantees for violets, new roof, etc to hand and get at least two quotes to ensure you are not overpricing your property.

Yes, do look at Rightmove or whatever else you have online to see what kinds of properties are for sale near you.

Get a good reliable solicitor and estate agent and preferably one’s who’ll give you a “fixed” price.

Good luck

*violets! Boilers!

We have moved 13 times most recently 12 months ago.

Declutter and clean, you don’t want to be taking anything with you and clearing out now will make the move easier.
Make sure the garden is tidy.

Make a list/spreadsheet of all the organisations you will need to notify once you have moved, try and go paperless where you can.

When you appoint an estate agent negotiate, we only pay full price if they sell our home within 10% of the asking price in 6 months, the fee then goes down on a sliding scale.

Do your research on Rightmove on sold prices as well as asking prices.

Don’t allow any viewings unless they are in a proceed-able position.

Good packers/removers are worth every penny.

The system in Scotland is so much better than England but I would still sell before buying.

Find a good lawyer ; ask sensible trusted fiends for a recom mendation.

Or if you are near Glasgow pm me for details of one who has done three conveyances for me and never put a foot wrong.

We’ve just gone under offer in Scotland, waiting for the Missives to be concluded.
I’m assuming that you know that you’ve got to have your survey, Home Report done before marketing. Have answers to questions that might arise from the report already prepared.
Strangely enough the Scottish market seems to be more buoyant than in England. After 9 days we had 3 cash offers.
As others have said declutter and make the rooms as spacious as possible. Remove any personal items from the bathrooms and bedrooms before viewings. I personally removed all tea towels, bathroom towels and mats. Make sure the beds are made neat and tidy, even spare ones. This goes for the photos as well.
Don’t be afraid to say if you think the photos are not good enough. It took several goes to get the photo of our house front right. In the end DH took it by standing on a step ladder on the other side of the road.
We always sell before buying, it saves a lot of anxiety. Once your Missives are concluded you can put in an offer on another property even if there’s a gap, furniture can go in storage and you can AirB&B.
Good luck.

Thanks again. I have a good solicitor and have had a home report which will need refreshing.

I am trying to rid myself of things I won't take with me.
Trips to the tip and charity shops feature in my daily life.

But ofcourse I will need furniture in whatever house I buy and I don't know how much yet.

The auctioneers will take some things but they are picky. Mahogany furniture is not selling at present.

Thousands of books will go to a charity which takes books.

Fallingstar

In England you can’t offer on a property unless your property has an offer too and in some cases vendors can refuse a viewing unless house owners have an offer. Make sure your estate agent prices your property realistically, when my DD and SiL sold their’s last year it stuck for ages until they reduced it quite a bit because the agent had over priced it.
We are decluttering but not moving, just sick of stuff everywhere. For the small stuff, bric a brac etc., ring round local charity shops and try to get them to pick it up if is tricky for you to drop it off, otherwise just do the rounds to your fav charities.
Remind yourself that if something isn’t overwhelmingly sentimental and has been in a drawer or cupboard for many years and close family don’t want it, then it has to go.
Is hard.

Unless things have changed from 20 years ago that isn’t true.
You can make an offer on a house if you haven’t got an offer yet on your own.
We sold a house to a couple who had theirs on the market but they didn’t have an offer on theirs at that point, they offered the full asking price so we accepted it and a month or six weeks later they got an offer so we could all proceed .
Obviously you can’t proceed with the actual sale until that happens.

fancythat

Also, the market[at least in England] has slowed down a lot.
Cost of living. And war in Iran.
But also, people think about the cost they bought a house for, how much they have spent doing it up.
And some then decide not to move because they are not getting the prices they want.

She's in Scotland, where the market has not slowed.

www.northwooduk.com/guides/news/why-scotland-is-set-to-lead-uk-house-price-growth-in-2026/

"The UK housing market is entering 2026 with clear regional differences, and Scotland is forecast to be at the forefront of growth. According to the latest Zoopla housing market analysis, Scottish towns and cities dominate the list of areas expected to see the strongest house price rises this year.

While parts of Southern England and London are facing slower growth and, in some cases, small price declines, Scotland’s combination of competitive pricing, active demand and disciplined stock levels places it in a strong position for sustained growth.

For sellers, buyers and landlords across Scotland, this signals a market that remains resilient, active and well supported.
<......>
Nine of the top 10 highest-ranked markets for 2026 are in Scotland, including Motherwell, Glasgow, Paisley, Falkirk, Kirkcaldy, Edinburgh, Kilmarnock, Perth and Inverness. "

I wouldn't worry too much about sorting furniture at this point. The hard part of decluttering before a move (in my experience) is the bits viewers won't see ( or take much note of) ; the contents of every drawer cupboard and wardrobe, the loft garage shed etc. Those are the places to do some ruthless sorting and dumping of ancient papers, clothes you haven't word for years, kitchen gadgets you never use or have duplicates of, books you'll never read again.

We moved within Scotland last year. We didn't want to sell our house fast and then feel pressured to move before we were ready.
We had all the marketing done before we started viewing houses, complete with photos/home report, solicitor instructed etc.
When we found somewhere we liked our offer was accepted because we were ready to put our house on the market the next day.
A good responsive solicitor was a real bonus. Although the barrage of emails needing action was overwhelming at the time, it all worked out in the end. I wish you the very best.

Everything Sago said is right. Also, for the purposes of the estate agent’s photos, display a lovely vase of flowers. Put all photos away. Put towels away. Don’t hang tea towels on the oven. Lawns need to be cut short. Display your home as if it were a new build. And, when the agent takes photos, make sure wall lights or lamps are on.