Ewe Move, Ashby-based Estate and Letting Agents, share their advice for getting the most out of your sales contract and their expert advice on displaying a 'For Sale' board. 

When your superstar estate agent has turned up in their shiny suit and brand-new tie and they've bowled you over with their winning pitch, they'll proudly produce their sales contract. They'll talk about the key facts, like the price that they hope to get you for your home and most people will then focus on the sales commission fee. 

But what the vast majority of people fail to do is review and understand the terms of the contract, contained in the small print, usually on the reverse. This section will tell you all you need to know, including the little traps you need to watch out for to protect yourself. 

Your estate agent will recommend, quite rightly, that you have a 'For Sale' board outside your home. They need to obtain your consent before they can put one up. 

Some people prefer not to have boards outside their home because they want to keep their activities secret from their neighbours. Given that we live in an online world, you'll soon find that your neighbours know all about your property listing. Indeed, their tongues are more likely to start wagging wondering why there's no board outside! So, this is more likely to lead to suspicion where none should even exist. 

If you want to sell your home, then a 'For Sale' board is one of the great ways to market your home. Not least because it allows your potential buyers to find it when they're coming for a viewing. You should also remember that your neighbours are likely to know friends and acquaintances that may wish to move into the area. They could become your allies and the best source of your ultimate buyer. 

The 'For Sale' board should always be included within your estate agent's fee. If your agent is charging you extra to have a board and you don't want to pay this extra cost, please consider how this could be detrimental to your sale and what other things that should be standard you may end up paying extra for. 

We would always recommend that you allow a marketing board to be placed outside your home when the time comes to sell. However, we always look to work with you and wouldn't force anyone to have a board, it is just worth noting the benefits.