Thinking of Selling Your Home in September? Get Ahead with Our 6-Week Guide

If you're thinking about selling your home in September, I bet you've not yet done anything about it. And that's completely normal! In fact, most homeowners wait until they feel "ready" before having any meaningful discussions... and then try to do everything at once. But cramming in valuations, choosing an agent, reviewing contracts and getting all the marketing done can feel fraught in a two-week period.  

And, based on my interactions with hundreds of homeowners over the years – and the times when I've been invited in for a conversation at an earlier stage – this tells me there is a better way to do things.  

These people start thinking, planning, and asking questions two months ahead, even if they have no intention of listing just yet. It costs them nothing, but it means that when the time comes, they can make informed decisions rather than rushed ones. 

If a move is on your mind for September, or perhaps even beyond that, here's a practical, no-guide to what's worth doing over the next six weeks. 

Week 1: Seek out an early read on your home 

The first step is understanding where your home sits in today's market. Having an early valuation conversation or two, even months before you plan to list, gives you a realistic sense of pricing and positioning – with the former particularly important as it will likely influence your budget for any onward purchase.   

This matters more than it might seem. Valuations can vary significantly depending on who you speak to – which is why I'd always recommend getting a few. It can be really useful to discuss this and also quiz an experienced agent about the market more broadly. Ideally, the agent would also be someone directly involved in the sale too, rather than just deployed to win instructions or hit monthly targets. 

Local nuances are worth understanding early too. Commuter demand, school-catchment timing, and seasonal patterns all shape when and how homes in this area sell well. Knowing this from the outset means you can plot a timeline with your eyes open, rather than guessing later. 

Weeks 2-3: Get your house in order

Once you have a realistic picture of your home's position, turn your attention to presentation. A good agent will offer advice on quick wins or small, low investment changes you could consider for the best presentation, and to maximise your home's potential sale price. This is the stage where many homeowners either do too little (and leave value on the table) or too much (and spend money that won't come back at sale). 

As a rule of thumb, here's what I suggest: 

Usually worth doing

Decluttering and de-personalising key rooms, addressing obvious minor repairs (chipped, faded or dirty paintwork, dated fixtures, squeaky doors), some garden our outdoor space TLC (planting, lawncare, staging seating or dining area), and improving 'kerb appeal – first impressions really matter for buyers. 

Usually not worth doing

Major kitchen or bathroom refurbishments close to a sale, structural changes, or extensive redecoration in a style that may not suit the eventual buyer. These rarely return their cost, and can even narrow your buyer pool if the taste is too specific. 

Look at our blog for more tips and pointers on five things to do before you market your home.

Week 4: Understand the likely timeline 

Ahead of listing, it's useful to understand how long a sale typically takes in the current local market, from go live to completion date. While nobody can tell you this with absolute certainty, as timelines shift with market conditions, a good local agent will be able to give you an informed and up-to-date view, based on what they're seeing. Selling your home in Camberley right now, for example, is taking on average 12-16 weeks where there's a chain involved. That means you ideally want a complete chain by mid-to-late October to complete and move before Christmas. 

Having this knowledge up front removes pressure later, as homeowners who go into a sale with realistic expectations tend to make better decisions throughout – rather than feeling forced into hasty price changes or accepting the wrong offer. 

Weeks 5-6: Choose your agent and review contract 

The stage that is often rushed the most, and it needn't be. Choosing the right agent for you is a big decision and one that deserves consideration. When you're in front of agents, ask questions about who will be handling your sale day-to-day, what the marketing strategy looks like beyond simply listing the property on Rightmove, and how communication will work once you're under instruction. 

I'd also strongly advise reading the contract carefully, well before you're under any pressure to sign quickly. Understand the selling fees and tie-in length. On this latter point, it’s worth noting that some estate agents in Camberley have lengthened their contracts to 16 weeks plus a 4-week notice period. Look at what happens if the property doesn't sell within the expected timeframe, and what flexibility you have if things don't go as planned. Above all, never allow yourself to be pressured into making a quick decision or signing anything!  

Conclusion 

None of these steps require you to commit to a sale right now. Rather, the aim is to be able to approach any potential sale being informed and prepared. Doing so means you can make better and more measured decisions, as and when you are ready to move forward. 

If you're weighing up a sale later in the year, I'd recommend having one or two early conversations with local agents – it could just be the most useful hour you'll spend in the whole process! It's also a great way to find out early on what kind of service and relationship you can expect from an agent, long before you're tied into anything.