So you are thinking of selling up and moving on? Maybe you have decided to take the plunge and move in with the love of your life.

An addition to the family might mean you need more space. Or the departure of children may mean you find yourself rattling around a house too large for your needs.

A new opportunity like a career move may require you to relocate, or you fancy a change of scene.

If you have time, redecorate any drab looking parts of the house and ensure it is in a state that is going to get you the optimum price.

A quick rule of thumb is asking yourself: “Would I buy this property in this state?”

Spending a few hundred pounds on getting everything in working order might save you from seeing the buyer knock you down by thousands.

Selling up is a daunting prospect but our guide can help take the stress out of one of the most important times of your life.

Get your property valued

You need to know precisely what your property is worth on the open market.

Visit the extensive database in our property pages to get an idea of how much properties like your home are going for. Click here to visit our Homes of Property site.

The information published by local estate agents can also be useful – look in their windows to find out how much similar properties are worth.

Ideally, you should get three agents round to value your place – you are under no obligation to give them the business but they will be keen to sign you up.

Don’t necessarily go with the highest estimate – they may just be going over the top to get your custom.

Find out how much commission they are going to take on your sale and try and find out what they will do to ensure your property is sold on your terms as much as possible.

Set your sights too high and it will never sell. Set it too low and you will be kicking yourself that you missed out.

Timing your sale

Once you are content that you are pricing your property correctly, it is time to plan how you are going to approach your sale.

Obviously, some sales are forced by the need for immediate action such as a change of job or a divorce.

But if you can choose when you go on the market then start the selling process when the largest number of people are looking, which is usually the spring and summer.

If you are selling your home and plan to buy another, think carefully about at what stage you want to start looking for a new house.

There are three ways to do this:

1) Buy and sell at the same time. It can save you storage and rent costs but it can put you in the stressful position of being part of a chain.

2) Sell your house and then rent while you find another. You risk seeing property prices rise while you wait but it can pay off if you sell before a dip.

3) Sell your house but request several months between exchange and completion in order to find yourself a new property. This may compromise your buyer and put off potential purchasers.

Most agents will encourage you to have an offer on your own property before looking for a new one.

Once you have agreed the timing and signed up with an agent, the selling process will begin.

You may have to decide whether to show potential customers round yourself or to leave it to the estate agent to handle viewings.

For the full details on the purchasing process, see our buyers guide.

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