Selling your home with Harper Macleod

If you're looking to sell your home, then look no further. Whether it's a large family home, an estate with land or a one-bedroom flat, our in-depth knowledge of market conditions means you can achieve the best result for your property.

Our team has many years' experience of the local property market and we provide a comprehensive service to assist you with selling your property – from the initial marketing to final settlement of the sale.

As solicitor estate agents, we also offer a full conveyancing service and one of our regulated conveyancing solicitors will undertake the legal work involved.

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A step by step guide to selling a house or a flat

Marketing your property

Our local estate agents will be delighted to discuss how best to market your property, taking full advantage of the range of marketing tools at our disposal. During this initial conversation our estate agents will explain the whole process, including advice on the Home Report. We'll help you to complete the property questionnaire, carefully collate all the information required, take photographs and advise on how best to show your property. We will also provide you with an estimate of our fees and outlays for the transaction. Visit our fixed fee packages page for more information.

Home reports

Following legislation brought into force in Scotland in December 2008, properties are legally required be marketed with a Home Report. The Home Report is a pack of three documents.

Single Survey

The Single Survey contains an assessment by a surveyor of the condition of the home, a formal valuation and an accessibility audit for people with particular needs.

Energy Report

The Energy Report contains an assessment by a surveyor of the energy efficiency of the home and its environmental impact. It includes an energy performance certificate (EPC) in much the same way as there is for a new cooker or fridge, and also recommends ways to improve the energy efficiency. All properties for sale require an Energy Report containing an energy performance certificate, irrespective of whether or not a full Home Report is required. A copy of the energy report is held in the property and also at our office.

Property Questionnaire

The Property Questionnaire is completed by the seller of the home. It contains additional information about the property, such as Council Tax banding, alterations, and other important information that will be useful to buyers.

Home Reports can currently be obtained from local property surveyors. We can arrange this for you if required.

Setting an asking price

Using our extensive experience of the local property market we will discuss an appropriate asking price with you, taking into account the valuation contained in the Home Report and current market conditions, with the aim of achieving the best price for the property. Properties are generally advertised at estate agent’s valuation, however, sellers are free to market their own property at whatever asking price they wish. Properties are usually advertised at an “Offers Over” price, or sometimes at “Offers in the Region Of” as a general guide. Occasionaly we may recommend a “Fixed Purchase Price”, where the first firm offer received at the asking price is accepted.

At this stage we will require sight of the title deeds to the property to enable us to check everything is in order. If you have a mortgage the deeds will be with your mortgage lender. We will ask them to send the deeds on to us.

Initial title checks

Once the deeds have been received we will obtain an Ordnance Survey comparison report (“Land Report”) if the property is being sold for the first time since the Land Registration system of recording property ownership details was introduced to Shetland in 2003. Under this system, the title a purchaser receives is in the form of an Ordnance Survey map-based Land Certificate. The Plans Report compares the extent of the property as described in the title deeds with the OS map. If this highlights any discrepancies these may need to be remedied.

We will also ask you whether any alterations have been carried out to the property which would have required planning permission, a building warrant and / or any other consents. This is important because if not dealt with early on it can result in delays later.

If our estate agents have not acted for you before we will need to obtain proof of identity from you to comply with Law Society Regulations.

Harper Macleod - your local estate agents in Shetland

Our dedicated team are committed to assisting you at every stage of the sale process, ensuring a seamless and hassle-free experience from listing to completion. Contact our office by phone or by submitting our call-back form and one of our team members will be in touch with you shortly.

Related Pages
Kira Spofforth
Property Manager
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Keep up to date with the latest property for sale in Shetland

For full details and colour photographs of all the properties we have for sale or lease, please view our property list.

Useful links

Harper Macleod Personal Legal Services
Details of the other personal legal services we provide

Harper Macleod Services for Businesses & Organisations
Details of our commercial & public sector legal services

Shetland Islands Council - Council Tax
Details of the Council Tax rates in Shetland

Registers of Scotland
Scotland's national land and property registers

The Law Society of Scotland
The governing body of Shetland solicitors

Crofting Commission
Regulators of the crofting system

Estate Agency Highlands
Property in Inverness and the Highlands from our Harper Macleod colleagues

  • Robert, a huge thank you for organising the sale of our property. You made it very easy for us. Andrew Kerr was amazing too.
    Mr and Mrs Wiseman
  • Again thank you for your assistance so far, I couldn’t have asked for better giving the country wide situation so I’m very grateful for works done so far and the speed at which it has happened.
    Mr S
  • We have availed ourselves of services provided by Harper Macleod of Lerwick, both in buying and selling residential property. Our needs on both these occasions were fully met and the service provided by them made our task in these circumstances, seemingly without effort.

    Prior to this we had also received very helpful general advice pertaining to Shetland real estate from them. This was a tremendous benefit to us at the time.

    If you are seeking cost effective, excellent real estate marketing and legal services, we would not hesitate in recommending Harper Macleod of Lerwick.
    David & Jan Elliot
  • Personally I was absolutely delighted with how it was handled from start to finish. Also, As a couple, Beth and myself were hugely impressed with the professionalism, attention to detail and speed your team delivered to us selling both property and buying another.
    David Simpson
  • We were very impressed with your professional manner and always keeping us up to date with progress.
    Lee Thompson
  • Thanks again for your brilliant service with both my property sales over the past years. Your experience in Shetland is much noted with local people.

    Selling my house whilst living in Edinburgh was a daunting prospect but I should not have worried. The communications between both parties was easy and the sale of my property went through without any hitches.
    Diane Legget
  • Many thanks for dealing with our sale so efficiently.
    Mrs Moses
  • Harper Macleod made selling my house very easy. Robert and Kira were really helpful. They made the whole process simple, especially as it was my first time selling a house. They have a great website and good system for seeing how many home reports have been downloaded. I would definitely recommend.
    Jolene Garriock
  • Harper Macleod LLP were excellent in the sale of my house. This was my first house sale and from the beginning of the process to the end they provided brilliant support and guidance. The process was made simple for me and each step was explained fully. They were very efficient and effective with communications.
    Laura Smith
  • We have been very pleased with the professional service we received from Harper Macleod. In particular the sales particulars and marketing of the property.  The advice received during the sale process was extremely helpful and the conveyancing was straightforward and hassle free. Would recommend Harper Macleod.
    HM Client