The process of upsizing, downsizing, upping sticks and moving to a new area or even finding that hidden gem of a restoration project can easily seem a daunting task. No matter what your plans are after your house is sold, you’ll want to ensure you start your new journey smoothly, with expert advice readily available throughout process of selling your home.

A good Estate Agent will take all of the stress out of selling your house, whilst making sure you receive the best possible price in a short timeframe. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of our top 5 tips on choosing an estate agent.

• Ask as many questions as you can think of whilst they’re viewing your home, including (but not limited to) what their commission is, what similar properties they have sold or currently have for sale, how many buyers they have on their books that are looking for the same kind of home, how quickly they think they could sell your home and of course most importantly, how much money they feel they could achieve for it!

• Take note of their enthusiasm! If an estate agent is passionate about your home, they’re excited about the prospect of selling it and they instantly make you feel relaxed and ‘at home’, the likelihood is that’s how they will make a prospective buyer feel; if they seem tired, flustered, rude or uninterested, it could put buyers off.

• Shop around! Don’t just choose the first estate agent that comes up in an internet search. Invite 3, 4, 5 or more estate agents around to view your house and ask what their marketing and sale strategies are.

• Place emphasis on locality. It sounds silly, but despite estate agents covering a large area, especially in rural settings, the closer an estate agent is to your home, the more likely they are to have a greater knowledge of the area and a greater database of potential purchasers!

• Ask your friends, family, work colleagues, the internet and even the guy on the bus for a recommendation! Whilst someone’s sales patter might be excellent, first hand experience of the entire process can be an invaluable thing.

Remember, selling your house should be a fun and exciting time; ensure you make the most of the experience by choosing the right estate agent. Take a look at our featured Abingdon estate agents, together with their customer reviews by clicking here.