Give nothing away to a prospective buyer which could be used against you. Obviously, if there are major problems, such as subsidence or damp, you will have to be honest. But if you tell your buyer you’re desperate to sell, you’re asking for a low offer. Before buyers leave have a relaxed chat to discreetly find out about them and their circumstances.
Knowing how low you are prepared to go for a sale in advance will help you make a decision when you do get an offer. Get as much information as you can about the buyers' situation so you know the relative strengths of yours and their position, ie, do they need to move quickly? Are they chain-free, cash-buyers? And if you are paying for an agent, use them to deal with the buyers.
Never start a negotiation by asking the price you want, since the buyer will just assume they have to negotiate you down from there. Don't dismiss a low initial offer out of hand, either, even if it is far too low. Instead indicate the price range you want to be talking about and wait for the buyer’s response.
After a successful offer, don’t dally on getting the move underway. Contact your mortgage lender, organise your survey, notify utilities and arrange final readings, arrange mail redirection, and book a removal service. Keep on top of your solicitor to ensure the process progresses smoothly and speedily. Don't let a sale fall through because of delays you've caused.
When you accept an offer you are under no obligation to take your house off the market. Whether you do so or not is up to you, but you must advise the estate agent as to what you want to do. The estate agent is legally obliged to tell you of new offers, right up to the point when you exchange contracts, though you risk upsetting your buyer as he or she will have already paid out for legal and valuation/survey fees. The system is different in Scotland. This is not good practice (morally), but in a flat market when you need to sell your house for as much as possible, keeping your house on the market while your sale starts to go through is often a sensible option.
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