Your Property Completed Properly

Free Valuations and Free Advice

Of course we offer free valuations, we think that most agencies do this, but the difference with Tracy Thorne Estates is that we will give you free advice, whether you are using as us your agent, or not!

We have an extensive knowledge of house prices in your area, not only do we work in your area but we also live in the borough – making us the best placed personnel to sell your home.

We understand your home is your most treasured asset and we tailor our service to respect that fact.

We may not be the biggest in the Country, but we certainly strive to be the best and pride ourselves on knowing the local area because we live in it.  Above all else, we value your instruction and look forward to marketing your home.

Frequently Asked Questions On Valuing Your Home?

How do I go about booking a valuation?

First and foremost give us a call – we are available 7 days a week so can fit round your busy schedule.

What will I expect from that phone call?

Be prepared – we do ask a lot of questions – are we being nosy – NO!  However the more information you provide us with at that very first contact ensures that on our visit we are fully prepared with all the tools and advice you will need in order to make your informed decision to move.  We bespoke our visit to tailor YOUR needs not what WE want!

What happens on the day?

Please ensure to give us approximately 1 ½ hours – we take this very seriously and do not rush what could be one of the most important decisions you ever make.

Does the property have to be immaculate on that day?

Certainly not, we will advise you on the day of any recommendations we feel would be helpful to ensure your property is shown in its best light once it comes to market.

Will you want us to show you around the home on the day or even be there for the appointment?

If it is possible, of course, being the owners of the house you are best placed to inform us of why YOU bought the property in the first place because, believe it or not, that is the likely reason your buyer will.  Also it gives you the opportunity to tell us of any changes you have made, things you may be thinking of doing before putting the property to market and then we can give our expert advice with any questions you may have.

How will you value the property?

As stated above, because of our very first phone call, we will have a good idea of your timescale for moving and also if you have an onward purchase – these things make a lot of difference to the marketing you may require and therefore may allow you to look at a different pricing ideas.

We will of course provide comparable evidence of other properties similar to your own and that will ensure you fully understand our advice.

Am I expected to put the property on the market there and then?

Of course not, as we have said our marketing is completely tailored to your own private situation and therefore we do not expect that decision to be made on the day.

However, should you wish us to do that we will be ready and willing to do so – with our latest estate agency software we can even do that right in front of your very eyes!

When we first started in this industry – websites did not exist!  We use good old fashioned cameras to take pictures and then had to stick the pictures onto the property details to give to potential buyers when they came into the office to register.  Encouraging buyers to view properties was much easier then because 99% of the time we got to meet them in our office!

Obviously with your help from the valuation day we are now the best person to help sell the viewing but nowadays buyers go on line and make that decision themselves and more than often miss out on a property they may have actually bought had they taken our advice to view it.

Frequently Asked Questions On Marketing?

What’s the best way to market my home?

Floorplans are essential – Rightmove tells us that 1/3 of buyers will not look at a property online without a floorplan.  Anyone who says any different is just lazy!

We use the very best photographic equipment and all of our staff have completed and passed a fully accredited photography course.  Only this ensures your home will look at its very best!

We have a very good relationship with Rightmove which allows us to use their featured and premium display property slots which again will make sure your property stands out from the competition.

Most importantly we use a  contemporary and innovative write up to encourage the best buyers to come and want to see your house first hand rather than just online.

We also have a unique aerial and internal video that may also be beneficial to your property’s marketing.

How soon after taking my instructions will my property be on the website’s?

Believe it or not we can do it in front of your very eyes but clearly we always want to go back to the office and make sure it looks its absolute best before putting it onto the website.  Don’t forget a majority of potential buyers now request a Property Search on Rightmove so as soon as it is on they get an email alert – that is why it is so important everything is checked and checked again before pressing the green light.

Also we like to phone our applicants with your property before it even goes live – that way they will want to view before anyone else and are more likely to offer you the best price!

The very first minute your property comes onto the market is the first time when it’s most attractive to buyers.

Frequently Asked Questions On Selling Your Home?

What do we do to make sure the best buyers come to view?

All of our potential buyers are fully registered before they are put onto our database – we ask lots and lot of questions to ensure they are motivated and in the best position to go forward should they find their dream home.  What is the point of us sending round someone to view your property that has not sorted out their finances or perhaps even put their own home onto the market!

If you are looking to buy on yourself,  as you know an open chain below you makes it very hard for you to secure your next dream home so we do everything we can to ensure that does not happen.

What sort of marketing strategy do you use?

This is the best time to organise an ‘open house’ to attract all enquiries in one go.  Buyer frenzy to secure the property gives the optimum selling price.

A suitable date is chosen for the launch when the property is presented at it’s best. Then we only contact the most suitable applicants to start booking times throughout the dedicated ‘open house’ period  (approximately 60 minutes).

We have a register of many active applicants and an extensive client database, so we can invite only the most suitable viewers to attend.

OF COURSE, we attend the open house to show every viewer round and answer any questions they may have regarding the property and the amenities etc around it so they can make an informed decision there and then.

Sometimes we may already have one potential buyer in mind and on those occasions we often organise a 1-off viewing before the property goes live – we will have already checked the buyer is in the best position to go forward and it is more likely they will offer the best price being the first person to view.

How do we go about negotiating offers?

All offers are reported to you verbally and in writing – we will double check their ability to proceed, and once that is established we can advise you on the best course of action to secure a sale.

Don’t forget WE, as Estate Agents, are primarily negotiators and we are the best people possible to ensure we get you the best price from the best buyer in the current market!

Will my house be taken off the market once we have a buyer?

Over the years Estate Agents have been caught out taking a property off the market as soon as an offer is accepted – at Tracy Thorne Estates the property remains ‘for sale’ until the prospective buyer has paid for their survey and instructed their solicitors.  They are informed of this and advised that we will not do any further viewings but of course it allows us to continue to take any details of any other prospective buyers should anything not go to course.  Highly motivated buyers obviously instruct their solicitor and pay for their survey’s as soon as possible in order to ensure they do not lose your property.

This is where Tracy Thorne Estates come into their own!!

If you have ever bought or sold a property previously you may know that this is where the problems can arise.

Lack of communication at this stage is like setting light to a slow burning fuse!

Having dealt with thousands of transactions over the past 20 years and dealt with many different sorts of solicitors and conveyancers, the staff at Tracy Thorne Estates have the experience to know when to chase solicitors and what to ask them to ensure we get the right information.

Selling a property is the easy part – getting it through to completion is where the hard work really comes in!!

Frequently asked questions?

When should we instruct a solicitor?

Firstly we recommend you instruct your solicitor as soon as the property goes onto the market.

We have several solicitors we can recommend, if you have your own ask if they offer a no sale, no fee transaction?  This means they get your paperwork together in readiness for your buyer, that way there is no lull in the first few weeks which is often where the first issues can arise.  When it all goes quiet people think it is being held up and they can then become confused as to what is actually happening!

What happens if there is a chain involved?

We will take full details of all the parties involved in the chain, including their solicitors, in the and that means we can get a full update so that timescales are realistic and everyone knows what is happening should there be any issues or set backs.

We try from the beginning to manage everyone’s expectations and also check on dates that will be unsuitable for moving – if this is discussed at the beginning then everyone can make plans accordingly.  Sales progression is as it says on the tin – PROGRESSION – not note taking!!

How do you keep everyone updated?

This is completely up to you – we are fully aware that sometimes phone calls during the day are not convenient so we can agree with you to email, text, whatever you prefer or even organise set times to call you.  At the beginning of the transaction we take phone no’s and emails of all the agents and solicitors to make sure we can keep in touch with them at all times – we know the best times to contact without driving them mad to make sure they inform us of progress – then we inform everyone involved in the transaction – that way everybody knows what is going on.  Sounds easy doesn’t it – but why do so few estate agents do this?

What is a normal period between exchange and completion?

This is normally between 2 – 4 weeks depending on the length of the chain.  A lot of solicitors now charge to exchange and complete in less than 2 weeks – why – who knows but they do?

When should we organise removals?

This is the one part that become complicated especially if it is left too late – we do suggest getting quotes from a few removal company’s leading up to exchange of contracts to make sure you choose the removal company you want to use rather than the only one left available!  Tracy Thorne Estates can recommend several removal company’s.

However, we do not suggest booking them until exchange of contracts as often there can be a fee if dates change.

And always remember most removal companies get very busy towards the end of the month and around Bank Holidays AND can also charge more for these times, especially the last Friday of the month so we try our hardest to make sure everyone has got the moving date that is convenient and often leaving this to the last minute is a recipe for disaster.

What happens on the moving day?

We are always on hand to assist!

Often the last thing sellers want to do is visit our offices on the move date to pass on the keys.

We really want the opportunity to come and say goodbye too!  So, we will visit you once contracts have exchanged to come and say ‘Congratulations’ and pick up the keys then.

Of course we chase the solicitors on that day to make sure the funds are all in and let all parties know when it has gone through – this is the best part knowing and celebrating that we have COMPLETED YOUR PROPERTY PROPERLY!!