Step by Step Guide to Selling Your Property

Selling a house can be an overwhelming task, particularly if it’s your first time. To help you get started, we have compiled a brief step-by-step information guide to selling your home in Ireland.

Should you have any questions about the process, please feel free to contact our team on (01)8058031

Step 1: Prepare your property for the market

Before listing your property on the market for sale, you should prepare your house to make it appealing to prospective buyers. This may involve some simple tasks like decluttering, making minor repairs, freshen up paint work or making the garden & outside areas more alluring. It is key to showcase and highlight the best characteristics of your property to attract the new owner.

It is always advisable to have your property valued. This will give you an idea of your house’s value and help you determine a reasonable asking price

Step 2: Appoint a Solicitor

In Ireland, it’s a requirement to appoint a solicitor to manage the sale on your behalf, as they will request your title deeds. This can take up to 8 weeks to reach them.  Our property negotiators can guide you through the legalities of selling your house, preparing the contract for sale, ensuring all planning documentation is in order, overseeing the exchange of contracts, right through to closing the sale.

Step 3: Select an Estate Agent

While it’s possible to sell your home privately in Ireland, it is advisable to appoint an estate agent. An estate agent will market your property, negotiate with potential buyers, and help you get the best possible price for your property.  Before choosing an estate agent, it’s advisable to request their current selling fee and track record of sales in your area – The Estate Agent’s Google reviews are a good indicator of other people’s experience with them.

Step 4: Set the Asking Price

Now that you have an idea your house’s value, you can set an asking price. It’s important to be realistic about this. Overvaluing can deter potential buyers, while under-pricing may result in final sale price that you are not satisfied with. Research recent sale prices of similar properties in your area for a perspective on what your asking price should be.

Step 5: Marketing Your Property

Delaney Estates will market your property by creating an online brochure, taking professional photographs, creating a virtual tour & video. We will also advertise your property on various platforms, such as online property portals of myhome.ie, daft.ie, social media, and Delaney Estates website.

Step 6: Host Viewings

Once your property is on the market, we will start receiving viewing requests. It’s advisable to make your house as presentable as possible for each viewing Your property negotiator will guide you on the best practices to appeal to potential buyers.

Read more: Step by Step Guide to Selling Your Property

Step 7: Negotiate and accept an offer

If a buyer is interested in purchasing your property, they will submit an offer via email through our property negotiator managing your sale.  Your negotiator will advise if you should accept, reject, or negotiate this offer.  Once you’ve agreed on a selling price, the purchaser must pay an initial booking deposit which is generally a fixed sum of €10,000 or a percentage of the purchase price. This is fully refundable up until the point where contracts are signed.

The purchaser will assign their surveyor and if there is a loan to be drawn down, a bank valuer.  Access will be required to the property to carry out these two appointments.

Step 8: Exchange Contracts

After accepting an offer, your solicitor will exchange contracts with the buyer’s solicitor. The buyer will then pay a deposit, typically 10% of the purchase price. Once the contracts are exchanged, the sale becomes legally binding.

Step 9: Complete the Sale

Once the contracts have been signed and the balance of the purchase price has been paid by the buyer, the sale is completed. The deeds of the property are then transferred to the buyer’s solicitor.

The process of selling a house in Ireland can take from a few weeks up to a few months, depending on various factors like the housing market conditions, the property’s condition, and the price.

Step 10: Final Inspection

Vacating the property and handing over your keys

Once the purchaser carries out the final inspection and the sale completes, it’s time to vacate the property.  You will need to cancel any utilities or services tied to the property e.g. electricity, gas, water, internet services & refuse bins.  All keys of the property are returned to Delaney Estates for the new owner.  

Additional Considerations

Important things to be aware of when selling a property in Ireland.

• Capital Gains Tax (CGT) – If the property you’re selling is not your primary residence, or if it’s value has increased since you bought it, you may be liable to pay Capital Gains Tax. You may wish to consult with a tax expert on this.
• Property Tax and Charges – you will need details of your LPT Property History for the purposes of any sale along with a Certificate of Exemption or Discharge in respect of the Non-Principal Private Residence (NPPR) Charge which is available from the Local Authority in which the property is located.
• Energy Efficiency – You’re required to have a Building Energy Rating (BER) for your property when selling it. The BER rates the overall energy efficiency of your property. If you don’t have a BER, you can hire a BER assessor to evaluate your property.  We will be happy to provide you with our contacts.
• Property Price Register – Once your house is sold, the selling price will be recorded in the Property Price Register. This register provides transparency to the public about the residential property market in Ireland.
• Mortgage – If you have an existing mortgage on the property, you’ll need to repay it from the proceeds of the sale. The balance of the sale proceeds, after paying off the mortgage and any fees (like solicitor’s fees and estate agent’s fees), is your equity from the sale.

Get a quote from our specialist conveyancing solicitors

If you are considering selling your property now or in the future and would like some advice on getting the process started, our experts Aisling Delaney and Avril Ward will be delighted to assist you. Please call us on (01) 8058031 and we will arrange a suitable time to meet, or you can also email info@delaneyestates.ie