Two new guides have been published by the Government, aimed at people buying and selling homes in England and Wales.
How to Sell runs to 18 pages, so cannot possibly be exhaustive, and veers between simplistic advice and slightly more sophisticated insights, but without going into much detail.
It covers a number of topics including how to choose an estate agent.
It is even-handed about the choice between an online or high street agent, saying both have their pros and cons.
It advises: “You might want to have an estate agent that you can meet face-to-face or it might be more important that you benefit from the cheaper costs of an online agency.”
It does, perhaps, seem a missed opportunity that the leaflet does not explain to consumers what estate agents actually do – nor that there might be a downside to ‘cheaper’.
There are however timely warnings about sole selling rights, referral fees, and fraud – and a surprising amount about the importance of EPCs.
The How to Buy leaflet also carries some very simplistic advice: who would have guessed that someone thinking of buying a house would see what they can afford first, and also consider the location, plus how many bedrooms they need and whether they’d like a garden?
However, there is some useful information on the conveyancing process – and as you’d expect, a fair bit on EPCs.
CEO of NAEA Propertymark Mark Hayward said: “These guides will be a very helpful source of information to consumers in understanding the house-buying and selling process.
“Arming consumers with the right sorts of questions to ask will make them much more informed and the process easier in the longer term.”
The government/civil servants could not possibly explain to consumers what estate agents do. They have no clue whatsoever and prove that fact by their repeated inept handling of legislations and rule making affecting agency and the market.
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