Reasons for selling
Why are you thinking about moving or selling?
Pick the circumstance closest to yours. Several reasons lead to the same page, because we would rather write one properly researched guide than thirty thin ones.
- Separation or divorce
Separation or divorce
- Relationship breakdown where owners are unmarried
Separation or divorce
- Joint owners disagreeing about the property
Separation or divorce
- Bereavement or inherited property
Bereavement or inherited property
- Inherited property shared between family members
Bereavement or inherited property
- Helping an elderly relative move
Downsizing or retirement
- Mortgage affordability problems
Mortgage payments becoming difficult
- Redundancy or reduced income
Mortgage payments becoming difficult
- Mortgage arrears
Mortgage arrears or repossession worries
- Repossession concerns
Mortgage arrears or repossession worries
- Negative equity
Negative equity
- Downsizing
Downsizing or retirement
- Retirement
Downsizing or retirement
- Children leaving home
Downsizing or retirement
- Property becoming too expensive to maintain
Downsizing or retirement
- Accessibility or mobility requirements
Downsizing or retirement
- Relocating for work
Relocating for work
- Moving closer to family
Relocating for work
- Lifestyle or area change
Relocating for work
- Moving abroad
Moving abroad
- Landlord considering selling
Landlord considering selling
- Selling a tenanted property
Landlord considering selling
- Portfolio reduction
Landlord considering selling
- Second-home sale
Landlord considering selling
- Property requiring expensive repairs
Property needs major work
- Empty property
Empty property
- Property no longer required
Empty property
- Upsizing or a growing family
Selling before buying another home
- Selling before buying another home
Selling before buying another home
- Chain difficulties
Selling before buying another home
- New-build reservation pressure
Need to sell more quickly than normal
- Need to sell more quickly than normal
Need to sell more quickly than normal
- Just researching options
Downsizing or retirement
Not sure which applies? Request a property review and tell us what has changed.
Common questions
- Is there a wrong reason to sell a property?
- There are reasons where selling is one option among several — arrears, a relationship breakdown, an inherited flat — and pages here set out the alternatives honestly rather than assuming a sale is the answer.
- Do I have to tell a buyer why I am selling?
- No. Your reason for selling is not a disclosable matter in Scotland. Physical and legal facts about the property are disclosable, in the Home Report and the Property Questionnaire.
- Which reason for selling most affects the timescale?
- Anything with a legal process attached — confirmation on an estate, a court-ordered sale, or a lender's action — usually sets the pace, because the sale cannot conclude until the underlying step is complete.