Selling your home
Selling your home You are able to sell your home whether you own a share or own the property outright. This process is known as assignment. It is important to write and tell us before you sell the property in order to obtain our consent to the sale. In some cases we will also be able to put forward a buyer and this could save you money in estate agent fees. If you own a share of your property you may be able to buy the remaining share and sell the whole property at the same time. Our Property Sales Officer will be able to advise you about this. You will have to get your property valued by a Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) qualified surveyor, which can be arranged by us and paid for by you. If you plan to employ an estate agent you will be able to choose which one to use. You will also need to contact a solicitor to act for you. When you have found a buyer you must again write to us, giving details of the proposed sale and the person you wish to sell to. The buyer will have to complete an application form and be approved for the shared ownership scheme. We will write to you to confirm conditions of the sale. You will have to pay our legal fees, including an administration charge, for arranging the sale. We can tell you the amount of the fees before you sell. 1
Informing us You must inform us in writing of your intention to sell your home. Please use the form at the back of this booklet to do so. We can only act when we have received your written instructions, signed by all parties to the lease, together with your valuation fee. Valuation An independent valuation is required to determine the open market value of the property and the current purchase price of the share you wish to sell. This must be carried out by an independent valuer who is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in order to ensure impartiality and fairness. The valuation is usually valid for six months, after which time a replacement may be required. You can either arrange this yourself with a RICS qualified surveyor and provide us with a copy of the written report or we can arrange this on your behalf (the cost of which you will be responsible for). Please contact us for an up-to-date cost for the valuation report arranged by us. It is important that you aim to complete the sale within three months to avoid additional costs. Improvements If you have made any improvements to your property which affect the value then these will be disregarded when we calculate the price of our share. Please use the form at the back of this booklet to advise us of any improvements you have made. Selling your home 2
What happens next? Once you have received the surveyor s written report detailing the value of your home, you may then want to look to sell your property on the open market. We are happy to assist in obtaining nominations for a resale property (if available), however ultimate responsibility falls with you as the leaseholder. Once you have appointed an estate agent you must make us aware so that we can signpost any potential buyers. When a potential buyer has been found, they must liaise with us in order for an application to be completed to assess their eligibility for the shared ownership scheme. A sale can t be agreed until a potential buyer has been approved by us. Please be aware that offers cannot be accepted on shared ownership properties. You must market your home for the amount detailed in the surveyor s report. This is to ensure the property remains affordable. You will have to pay our legal fees, including administration fees, for arranging the sale. We will confirm the amount before you sell. Your solicitor Once the matter is in the hands of your solicitor, they should keep you informed of progress throughout the sale. If you have any queries during this time, we recommend that you speak to your solicitor who will be able to advise you. 3
Rent and service charge accounts If there are any arrears on your rent or service charge accounts then these will be collected prior to or upon completion via your solicitor. If you pay by direct debit or standing order please do not cancel this until completion has taken place. We will arrange to refund you any balance on completion. A quick guide to selling your home 1. Write to us to inform us of your intention to sell your share of the property, using the form at the back of this booklet. 2. Provide us with payment for a current market valuation if you would like us to arrange this. Please contact us for an up-to-date cost. If you are arranging yourself you will need to provide us with a copy of the written report from the RICS surveyor. 3. Appoint an estate agent to market the property for you and make us aware of your chosen agent in order for potential buyers to be assessed on their eligibility for the shared ownership scheme. 4. Inform us of your solicitor s details once a sale has been agreed. 5. Liaise with your solicitor to keep up-to-date on the progression of the sale. 6. A deed of assignment will be produced as an additional item to the original lease to reflect the change of ownership. Selling your home 4
Please contact us if you need more information or assistance. By request we will do what is reasonable to provide the content of any document in another format or language. Please contact our Customer Services team on freephone 0800 027 2057, telephone 01427 678000 or email info@acisgroup.co.uk. Contact details phone: freephone 0800 027 2057 telephone 01427 678000 post: Acis Group, Acis House, Bridge Street, Gainsborough, DN21 1GG email: info@acisgroup.co.uk website: www.acisgroup.co.uk in person: Acis House, Bridge Street, Gainsborough, DN21 1GG 5
Intention to sell application If you wish to sell your home, please complete and return this form to: Property Sales Officer Acis Group Acis House Bridge Street Gainsborough DN21 1GG Your name:... Your address:......... I wish to sell my share in the above property (please tick ) What share of the above property do you currently own?...% Please answer only one of the following questions (please tick ) I have enclosed a cheque for the cost of the valuation to the above property, made payable to Acis Group Limited I will be arranging my own valuation via a RICS qualified survey
Have any improvements carried out to your property been done in agreement with Acis? (please tick one ) Yes No No improvements have been carried out If you answered Yes or No to the previous question, please provide details below.... Please provide your solicitor s details below. Solicitor name:... Solicitor address:... Solicitor telephone:... Please sign and date this form below, ensuring all details you have provided are correct. If the property is in joint names, both leaseholders must sign this form. Signed:... Signed:... Date:... 7/13