Selling your home yourself is more achievable than many people expect, and you stay in control of the price, the timing and the conversations with buyers. This guide walks you through the ten steps in order, from deciding your asking price to handing over the keys, and points you to a detailed guide at each stage. If you would rather have a local agent handle some or all of it, that works too - on Domovita you can list the property yourself or bring in an agent, and both are first-class ways to sell. For the official starting point, see the government's overview of buying and selling your home. Last reviewed: 30 May 2026.
The ten steps at a glance
- Decide your price
- Get an EPC (required before marketing)
- Gather your paperwork
- Write your listing
- Take good photos
- Handle enquiries and viewings
- Receive and review offers
- Instruct a conveyancer
- Move from offer to exchange
- Complete and hand over the keys
Step 1 - Decide your price
Your asking price is the single biggest decision you make, because it shapes how many buyers enquire and how quickly. Research what similar homes nearby have actually sold for, not just what they were listed at, and be honest about your home's condition and the local market. If you want a steer, you can ask a few local agents for a free valuation, or use Domovita's valuation tools, and then set a figure you are comfortable with. Pricing too high can leave a home sitting unsold; pricing sensibly tends to generate competing interest. It is also worth budgeting for the costs involved before you commit - our cost of selling guide breaks these down.
Step 2 - Get an EPC (required before marketing)
By law you must have a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) available before you market your home for sale. An EPC rates the property's energy efficiency and is produced by an accredited assessor after a short visit. You can check whether you already have a current one, or find an assessor, using the government's find an energy certificate service. Do not start advertising until the certificate is in place. For the full detail on timing, validity and what to expect, read our EPC when selling guide.
Step 3 - Gather your paperwork
Getting your documents together early avoids delays later. Typically you will need your title documents (proof you own the property), the TA6 property information form (the current sixth edition), the TA10 fittings and contents form, and any leasehold or warranty paperwork that applies to your home. The TA6 is where you set out a great deal of the detail buyers and their solicitors rely on, so it is worth completing carefully and honestly. Our guide to the TA6 property information form explains each section. If your property is leasehold, you may have additional management or service-charge paperwork to collect - gather what you can while you wait for offers.
Step 4 - Write your listing
A good listing is accurate, specific and easy to scan. Lead with the things buyers care about - the number of bedrooms, the type of property, the location and the standout features - and write in plain language. Crucially, you must disclose all material information under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (the DMCC Act 2024) - see the government's guidance on the DMCC Act 2024, and our material information guide for what to disclose. Material information means the things that could affect a buyer's decision, such as tenure, council tax band, known issues and anything unusual about the property. Leaving out or misstating material information is a serious matter, so be straight about your home's good and not-so-good points. Our material information guide sets out what you should include.
Step 5 - Take good photos
Photographs do most of the persuading before anyone steps through the door. Declutter and clean first, open curtains and blinds for natural light, and shoot each main room from a corner to show its full size. Aim for a bright, level, true-to-life set of images covering every room, the garden or outside space, and the front of the property. Honest photos that match what visitors find on the day build trust and reduce wasted viewings - misleading images can stray into the material-information territory covered in Step 4.
Step 6 - Handle enquiries and viewings
Once your listing is live, be ready to respond to enquiries promptly and to arrange viewings at times that suit genuine buyers. Decide in advance whether you will show people round yourself, and think about straightforward personal safety steps such as letting someone know when a viewing is happening. Be ready to answer questions about the area, running costs and the points you disclosed in your listing. Our viewings and offers guide covers how to prepare, conduct viewings and follow up. For general guidance on the process, the government's buying and selling your home pages are a useful reference.
Step 7 - Receive and review offers
When offers come in, look at more than the headline figure. Consider the buyer's position - whether they are a cash buyer, have a mortgage agreed in principle, or are in a chain - because a slightly lower offer from a proceedable buyer can be more reliable than a higher one with conditions attached. You are free to negotiate, accept or decline. Remember that in England and Wales an accepted offer is not legally binding until exchange of contracts, so either side can still change their mind up to that point. Our viewings and offers guide explains how to weigh offers and respond.
Step 8 - Instruct a conveyancer
Once you have accepted an offer, instruct a conveyancer or solicitor to handle the legal side of the sale. They will prepare the contract, respond to the buyer's solicitor's enquiries, deal with your title and any leasehold matters, and manage the money. Selling privately does not mean doing the legal work yourself - the conveyancing is specialist work and almost everyone uses a professional. Our conveyancing for private sellers guide explains how to choose one, what they do and how the process flows.
Step 9 - Move from offer to exchange
This is the stage where the sale becomes real. The buyer's solicitor raises enquiries (many drawn from your TA6), the buyer arranges any survey and finalises their mortgage, and searches are carried out. Your conveyancer will guide you through responding and agreeing a completion date with the buyer's side. When both parties are ready, contracts are exchanged - and at that point the sale becomes legally binding on both of you. Keep communication open and answer enquiries quickly, as delays here are the most common cause of a slow sale.
Step 10 - Complete and hand over the keys
Completion is the day the money changes hands and ownership transfers to the buyer. Your conveyancer receives the funds, settles any outstanding mortgage on the property, and confirms when you need to be out. You then hand over the keys, usually by leaving them with an agent if one is involved or arranging a direct handover. Leave the property clean and remove everything you did not agree to leave behind in the TA10. After completion there may be tax to consider - if the property was not your only or main home, capital gains tax can apply, so check the current rules at tax when you sell your home and capital gains tax, and confirm any current figures or thresholds with HMRC.
A note on doing it your way
Selling privately puts you in charge, but you do not have to do everything alone. You can take on the whole process yourself, or hand parts of it to a local agent and keep the rest - listing on Domovita supports both. Whichever route you choose, the legal duties are the same: have a valid EPC before you market, disclose all material information, and use a conveyancer for the legal work. Get those right and the rest is mostly preparation, good communication and patience.
Frequently asked questions
Do I legally need an EPC before I can advertise my home?
Yes. You must have a valid Energy Performance Certificate available before you market your home for sale in England and Wales. You can check whether you have a current one, or find an accredited assessor, using the government's find an energy certificate service at https://www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificate.
Is an accepted offer legally binding?
No. In England and Wales an accepted offer is not legally binding until exchange of contracts. Either the buyer or the seller can change their mind up to the point of exchange, which is why moving promptly through the legal stage matters.
What is material information and why does it matter?
Material information is anything that could affect a buyer's decision, such as tenure, known issues or unusual features. You must disclose it under the DMCC Act 2024. Leaving it out or misstating it is a serious matter, so be honest in both your listing and the TA6 form. See our material information guide for a full checklist.
What paperwork do I need to sell privately?
Typically your title documents, the TA6 property information form (current sixth edition), the TA10 fittings and contents form, and any leasehold or warranty paperwork that applies. Gathering these early helps avoid delays once you have accepted an offer.
Can I do the legal work myself instead of paying a conveyancer?
Conveyancing is specialist legal work and almost everyone uses a conveyancer or solicitor, even when selling privately. They prepare the contract, handle enquiries, deal with your title and manage the funds. Our conveyancing for private sellers guide explains how to choose one.
Will I have to pay tax when I sell?
If the property was your only or main home, you may not have to pay capital gains tax, but rules and reliefs vary. If it was a second home or a let property, tax can apply. Do not rely on a remembered figure - check the current rules at https://www.gov.uk/tax-sell-home and https://www.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax and confirm any thresholds with HMRC.
General information, not legal advice. This guide explains the rules in plain English and is kept under review, but the law changes and every situation is different. Always check the current position on the official gov.uk pages linked above, and take professional advice - a solicitor, conveyancer, accountant, or your local council as appropriate - before relying on it for a specific decision.