We promote our properties for sale to an audience of millions of potential homebuyers via 100's of great sites like mousesale.co.uk, Rightmove.co.uk, Hot Property, google, yahoo, virginmedia, aol, btopenworld, tiscali, altavista, nestoria, multimap, lycos, home.co.uk, trovit, orange, thesun, oodle, primemove, primelocation, findaproperty and many, many more! mousesale has also been featured by BBC TV, Radio 4, The Daily Telegraph etc.

FAQS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it cost to market my home for sale with mousesale?

You can save yourself thousands of pounds in selling fees by using online estate agent mousesale! Full details of our selling options can be found by clicking here.

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Are there any additional 'hidden' fees to pay?

No. That is it! There are no further selling fees to pay mousesale no matter how quickly you sell your property or for how much!

You can however consider optional extras such as 3D Floor plans and Virtual tours if you think this may assist you in achieving a quicker sale.

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How can I find out how much my house is worth?

The task of valuing properties is normally carried out by Chartered Surveyors as anyone who has paid a bank or building society for a property valuation for mortgage purposes will know. Estate agents can give you an indication of what your asking price should be usually based on the selling price of similar properties in the area. This "insider" information once the exclusive preserve of estate agents and lenders is now available to all via the Land Registry and other sources giving us not just the opportunity to be nosey about our neighbours but also to give realistic indicators of property values!

mousesale can provide an automated valuation of your property plus a comprehensive report containing key information about the housing market, property values and other useful local information. Ideal for prospective purchasers! Click here for details.

When selling your home, it is always best to ask a realistic price but leave some room for negotiation. Don't over-inflate the price or you may find the property remains unsold for a very long time. On the other hand don't allow anyone to encourage you to accept a below-market offer in order to secure a quick sale. (A high turnover is much more profitable for an estate agent than a marginal increase in the selling price). We can also provide you with a 'Best Price Guide' using data from rightmove.co.uk and the Land Registry. If you would like advice from mousesale regarding the valuation of your home, please contact us.

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What are the levels at which stamp duty applies?

Property value up to £125,000 = Nil
£125,001 - £250,000 = 1%
£250,001 - £500,000 = 3%
Over £500,000 = 4%

Property in disadvantaged areas:

If you're buying a property an area designated by the government as 'disadvantaged', you don't pay any Stamp Duty Land Tax if the purchase price is £150,000 or less.

2nd Sept 2008 Stamp Duty Update

Stamp duty axed below £175,000.

Homebuyers will not have to pay stamp duty on properties costing £175,000 or less for the next 12 months.

The current £125,000 threshold will be raised as part of a package of measures aimed at boosting the housing market.

Someone buying a home for £175,000 will save £1,750 under the scheme, which is likely to cost the Treasury £600m.

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Where will my property be advertised?

Nowadays most people look for their next home via the Internet. In addition to marketing your property via www.mousesale.co.uk we will also promote it for sale on our Partner sites such as Rightmove, Primelocation, Hot Property and many more numerous regional newspaper sites - giving access to millions of potential purchasers every month!

We are also able to provide you with a professional for sale board to alert people locally to the fact that your home is available for sale. This is one of the best forms of local advertising.

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How do I prepare particulars of my property?

Your local mousesale manager will arrange to do this on your behalf after visiting your home. Once details are uploaded to our website, prospective purchasers can print off a colour copy of the sales particulars.

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How do I upload details of my property to your website?

Your local mousesale manager will also arrange to do this on your behalf. To help speed up the process, you can follow the simple on screen instructions to upload your details directly to our website with your own secure log-in code and password. It really is very easy to do. Don’t worry, no details will go live on our website until we have verified them and you have confirmed that they are correct. Once uploaded to our website, details of your property will be automatically copied to our partner sites.

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How many photographs can I display?

Platinum - Allows you to display up to twelve photographs and five floor plans. By law, one image needs to be of the EPC graph from the Home Information Pack.

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Can I change my property details once they have been uploaded?

Yes. When we first upload details of your property to mousesale they will normally appear on our website and those of our partners within two to four working days. By using your unique log-in and password, you can amend details at any time thereafter – subject of course to us verifying compliance with the Property Misdescriptions Act.

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How do I prepare my home for sale?

When preparing your house for sale the aim is to appeal to as many purchasers as possible. For home-staging tips from the mouse doctor, please click here.

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How do I conduct viewings?

Utilising the latest technology from mousesale, we are able to offer virtual viewings of your home! No more Nosey Parkers traipsing around your home with no intention of buying!

However, seriously interested parties will need to see your home. mousesale will arrange viewings on your behalf. The following is practical advice for viewings should you decide to conduct them yourself:

Always have full details of anyone who wishes to view your house including name, address and telephone number.
Take sensible precautions when inviting people you do not know into your home. Always have a friend with you and remove any valuables from sight.
Call the viewer before they come to your house. Not only can you confirm they are who they say they are, you can confirm the viewing and break the ice by already having spoken to them before they turn up.
Do not be afraid to ask if they have a house to sell as a first time or ‘cash' buyer can proceed much more quickly than someone who has to sell their existing house first. Take this into account when negotiating a sale price.

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How do I deal with offers?

mousesale will handle offers on your behalf to help you with the art of negotiation.

It is always best to ask a realistic price but leave some room for negotiation. Do not over-inflate the price or you may find the property remains unsold for a very long time. On the other hand do not allow anyone to encourage you to accept a below-market offer in order to secure a quick sale.

You will need to know the following information as a minimum:

Name and address of purchaser(s)
Their contact details.
Do they have a house to sell? If so, is it on market or sold?
Do they require a mortgage?
When do they want to exchange/complete?
Who is their solicitor/conveyancer?

Even if you accept an offer, it is best to leave the property on the market until contracts are exchanged.

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What else can mousesale help me with?

Our aim is to offer you a first class service and help you save money in all aspects of house moving. Please click any of the links below for information on other services we can help you with:

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How can I obtain a free copy of your e-book, ‘The mousesale guide to selling without a traditional estate agent'?

We provide each platinum client with a free copy of our E-book, The mousesale guide to selling your house without a traditional estate agent. For details, please click here.

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What are the advantages of selling my home with mousesale?

Mouse Sale Ltd directors are members of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) and the Ombudsman Scheme for estate agents. We took the steps to join these organisations to offer our clients added protection and security. However we are not a typical high street estate agent and prefer to empower our clients to take control themselves by putting buyers and sellers in direct contact with each other. Some of the advantages of this unique approach are:

mousesale will handle enquiries and negotiations on your behalf.
We provide a helping hand with all aspects of the house sale process.
You can maximise exposure of your property and reach an audience of millions of purchasers every month
Our website and those of our partners have millions of hits per month and we have many waiting buyers on our automated mailing list.
Your mousesale for sale board will encourage passers by to obtain information via our website or to contact you directly.
Sell via mousesale and you will not have to pay expensive estate agents fees.
Save £1000s in selling fees. mousesale does not charge commission. We charge a one-off fee regardless of how much your property is being sold for. There is no more to pay when you sell your property.
Flexible selling options. You can pay a fixed fee up front - or include a Home Information Pack and defer payment until house is sold. (Terms and conditions apply).
Save ££'s in conveyancing fees with competitive fixed fees guaranteed and no completion, no fee solicitor service.
Apply for and track your Home Information Pack online - unlike some estate agents we don't offer a ‘free' HIP that locks you into a more expensive service.
You can also defer payment for up to 9 months with mousesale. (Terms and conditions apply).
Local support. mousesale is more than just an online estate agent. We have a growing network of affiliates and partners across the UK offering personal face to face service too!

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Do I need to sell via a Traditional High Street Estate Agent?

Absolutely not! If you property is well priced and properly presented, there is a good chance it will sell quickly. Online estate agent mousesale will provide you with all the tools you need to help elicit an early sale - without charging you a big fat fee!

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What if I Have Already Instructed an Estate Agent?

If you have instructed another agent on a sole agency and/or sole selling rights basis, the terms of those instructions must be considered to avoid the possibility liability to pay two sets of fees. We can advise you on how best to terminate or renegotiate your current contract with your estate agent if required.

A useful source of information about the statutory obligations of traditional estate agents is the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

We strongly advise vendors never agree to "sole selling rights" or any similar restrictive contract, as this could entitle the agent to a fee on completion even if they don’t find a buyer.

The following was taken from the OFT web-site

Selling a property.

The contract.

When you instruct an estate agent to act for you, you enter into a legally binding contract. Before agreeing to it, read the contract carefully and make sure you understand it.

Find out whether you have the right to cancel the contract. Check how long it will run. It should allow a reasonable length of time to market your property and find potential buyers. Beware of ending up tied to an estate agent for an unreasonable length of time. If you are unsure about a contract, seek independent advice from a solicitor or your local Citizens Advice Bureau before agreeing to the terms.

You may come across the following terms in a contract. Make sure you understand what you are agreeing to.

Sole agency

The estate agent you appoint is the only agent with the right to sell your property (for the term of any contract you may have signed).

Sole selling rights

The estate agent is the only person with the right to sell your property. It differs from sole agency in that if you find a buyer yourself, you still have to pay the estate agent. If you appoint more than one estate agent to sell your property under a sole agency or a sole selling rights contract, each agent has the right to claim their fee when the property is sold.

Ready, willing and able purchaser

With this type of contract, you have to pay if the estate agent finds a buyer who is prepared and able to buy your property and exchange unconditional contracts. You still have to pay even if you withdraw from the sale and unconditional contracts are not exchanged.

The terms sole agency, sole selling rights and ready, willing and able purchaser must be explained in writing if they are used in a contract.

Multiple agency

You can instruct several estate agents to act for you on a multiple agency basis. Only the estate agent which sells the property will be entitled to a commission. The rate of commission is likely to be higher than for a sole agency or sole selling rights contract. A few estate agents offer a joint sole agency contract. In this case two agents agree to share one commission.

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How easy is it to advertise and sell my property without a traditional High Street estate agent?

Very easy! Over 80% of prospective purchasers use the Internet to find their next home. Online estate agent mousesale has a fully optimised state of the art website and also partner with hundreds of other websites to expose your property to millions of potential purchasers. A professional mousesale for sale board will help attract local buyers too.

Traditional High Street estate agents v selling with mousesale

What does a traditional estate agent provide? What can you do yourself with help from mousesale?

	estate agents	mousesale
State of Art website	Possibly	Yes
Valuations	Y	Yes
Sales Particulars	Y	Yes
For Sale Board	Y	Yes
Prospective Buyers	Y	Yes
Advertising	Y	Yes
Big Fat Fee!	Y	No!

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Can mousesale offer me a personal service?

Yes. We are more than just an online estate agent. The Internet is a powerful tool that can reach across the globe, but at mousesale we never underestimate the importance of local knowledge.

We have a nationwide network of Partners and Affiliates throughout UK and will no doubt have someone close to you who can provide you with a personal service.

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What will you spend the money you save on?

New Car? Kitchen? Holiday? Bathroom?

let the mouse sell your house & save thousands in selling fees!

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Do I need a Home Information Pack before I can sell my property?

Home Information Packs are now compulsory for most properties in England and Wales - before they can be offered for sale.

To order your HIP on-line from mousesale now click here.

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Ask the Expert

If we have not been able to answer your specific question here, please contact us and we will endeavour to respond within 48 hours - usually sooner. If we don't know the answer - we will find someone who does!

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Details correct at 2nd September 2008.

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