A recent survey has revealed that the most stressful event in someone's life is selling a house. This comes as no surprise due to the pressure involved in selling a property, but the survey also revealed some other widely held beliefs that we weren't so 'sold' on.
Selling a house is more stressful than getting divorced
According to a study by Vivo Property Buyers, people find the task of selling their home more stressful than other major life events like having a baby, starting a new job or getting a divorce.
The co-founder of Vivo Property Buyers, Jantiene Sobry, explains that the process of selling a house is particularly stressful due to the length of time it takes to secure a sale and the fact it is the most expensive asset most people will ever own, therefore comingwith a huge element of caution.
“The process is long and daunting [and] it is the unknowns which make it a stressful event in your life” Jantiene Sobry said (via propertyreporter.co.uk).
This is something we actively try to combat at Homeward Legal and by making our conveyancing service as straightforward as possible. We work with experiend property lawyers across England and Wales, and our offer of fixed fees and a no completion, no fee guarantee help to prevent the stress of having to pay for conveyancing again if your buyer pulls out. With a proactive, pragmatic approach to the legal work required to sell a house, our conveyancing solicitors aim to ease the worry of selling your house as much as possible.
How long does it really take to sell a house?
The study also revealed that people believe it takes approximately three to six months to sell a property, which it definitely could, but at Homeward Legal, we've often seen people put their house on the market, only to be surprised that it's sold within a week.
At this point, it's up to the buyer and their solicitor how long the conveyancing takes, but it could be as quick as six weeks. Of course, how quickly a sale goes through depends on the desirability of the property, and it makes sense that a well-priced and desirable home will sell quickly. But it also comes down to whether or not the right buyer finds it at the right time.
Once a buyer has been lined up, the conveyancing solicitors who are part of Homeward Legal's panel usually work to a tight schedule to ensure that at least the conveyancing part of the sale goes as quickly as possible.
The great estate agent myth
Another point raised in the survey was the preference for using local estate agents. A large majority of the people surveyed said they would prefer to deal with an estate agent who was local and had a good knowledge of the area in which their house was based.
We've discussed the pros and cons of using a local conveyancer before, but first let's address the misconception about estate agents. Many people believe opting for the conveyancer your estate agent recommends is a safe bet, but this is actually a bit of a myth.
Estate agents will often receive a large commission from the conveyancer, and rather than choosing the package that suits you most, they'll often choose the one that makes them the most commission. Guess who'll pay that commission? Yep, you!
We've found the estate agent's conveyancer can be up to £800 more expensive than an independent one you choose yourself, and this cost will almost always be tagged on to your bill at the end - now that's stressful!
Local isn't necessarily better
As discussed previously, a large number of people prefer to choose a local solicitor, and while this may give the solicitor a degree of local knowledge, they might not automatically be the best choice.
Most conveyancing searches don't require much local knowledge to be done to a high standard, and with the internet and email, even local solicitors won't be around to visit in person all the time. It's better to choose your conveyancing solicitor on reputation and reviews rather than where they are based, as someone you find online may be quicker and more efficient than a local conveyancer.
It's surely going to be more stressful if you opt for a local solicitor only to be disappointed when they aren't everything you thought they would be. This highlights the importance of checking the reputation of any solicitor you find, local or not.
Homeward Legal can help to take the stress out of selling a house. Our solicitors are based all over England and Wales, meaning we can pair you with a local solicitor while offering you great customer service, a highly recommended reputation and great value for money.
Give us a call on or use our online quote service to find out how we can take the stress out of your sale conveyancing.