How to sell a house in Scotland
1. Preparing your property
The house selling process in Scotland can move quickly, so making a strong first impression is essential. Preparing your house for sale should be one of the first things you do. A well-presented home is more likely to attract interest, stand out in listings, and lead to stronger offers — especially in a competitive market.
Since buyers receive a detailed Home Report upfront, any visible flaws or signs of neglect could impact your property's valuation. Tiding up, fixing small issues, and making your home feel welcoming will help to speed up the sale and potentially increase your final sale price.
2. Instruct a solicitor
In Scotland, you’ll need to instruct a solicitor or conveyancer early in the process. Initially, they will gather your title deeds, check ownership details, and carry out legal checks to ensure there are no issues that could delay the sale.
Find out more about what a conveyancer is.
3. Arrange a Home Report
It is a legal requirement in Scotland to prepare a Home Report when putting a house on the market. This report gives potential buyers a clear picture of your property before they even make an offer.
It includes:
Single Survey - assesses the condition and market value of your home
Energy Report – provides and energy rating to show how energy-efficient your property is
Property Questionnaire – includes useful details like council tax band, any alterations made, and other practical info.
Think of the Home Report as a buyer’s starter pack—everything they need to know to make an informed decision.
You can arrange a Home Report yourself or ask your estate agent to. Either way, the Home Report should be no more than three months old at the time of putting your property on the market. If your sale takes a little longer, and the Home Report becomes older than 12 weeks, it may need to be updated or replaced.
4. Choose an estate agent & list the property
Choosing the right estate agent can make selling your home less stressful and more successful. Compare fees, reviews and recommendations to help guide you to the right fit. A good agent will help you price your property competitively and present it well to potential buyers.
5. Receive & negotiate offers
In Scotland, homes are often marketed as ‘offers over’. This gives buyers a guide price, however, also allows for competitive bidding, with the aim of achieving a higher sale price than the one advertised. Offers are made via your conveyancer or solicitor, if there are multiple buyers interested, your solicitor will state a closing date for all offers to be submitted.
6. Accept an offer
Your solicitor will let you know of all the offers they have received and will help to review them and advise you on the best offer. The review will factor in the price offered, as well as other conditions such as the potential buyers financial position, e.g. whether they are a cash buyer or using a mortgage and if they are part of a chain. You may wish to negotiate, but once, you decide which offer is best and you have accepted, the legal work begins.
7. The Scottish conveyancing process
Your solicitor and your buyer’s solicitor will negotiate and agree on the missives. Missives are a series of formal letters that make up the binding contract for the sale of a property. The missives typically cover:
Names and contact details of buyer and seller
Address and legal description of the property
Agreed purchase price and any deposit terms
Agree the date of entry (completion date)
Confirmation of legal title
Fixtures and fittings form - what items are included and excluded in the sale e.g. curtains, light fixtures, garden shed etc.
Reference to the Home Report
Scottish Standard Clauses - widely used, pre-agreed legal wording that covers issues like access rights, boundaries and planning consents
Any specific conditions e.g. subject to seller finding another property
Once all terms are agreed by the seller and buyer, the missives are ‘concluded’, and the sale becomes legally binding. At this point, neither party can withdraw without incurring legal and financial consequences.
Confused by the conveyancing jargon? Check out our simple breakdown of Scottish conveyancing terms.
8. Settlement and handover
Your solicitor will finalise the paperwork and prepare the disposition, the official legal document that transfers ownership of the property from the seller to the buyer. On the date of entry, as agreed in the missives, the purchase funds are transferred, and the keys are handed over to the new owners. If you have a mortgage, your solicitor will use the sale proceeds to pay off any remaining balance and transfer any leftover money to you.
9. Notify authorities & finalise
Ownership is legally transferred once the disposition is registered with the land registry, which usually happens shortly after the date of entry. The final step is to inform your utility companies and council tax office and update your address or redirect your mail. To make things easier, moving setup services like our partner, Just Move In, can handle this for you—saving time and reducing stress.
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