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Straight answers on buying, selling, letting and renting in Worthing

This is the guide we'd talk you through if you called into the office on the Strand. It has four parts, one for each reason people come to us, and each sets out what happens, in what order, and what you'll need to have ready. After those come longer notes on the parts of Worthing, and at the end, how to reach us with anything the guide doesn't cover. Start with the part that describes you.

Also on this page: Around Worthing Still not sure? Ask us

This guide is general information about how things usually work in England, written plainly. It isn't legal or financial advice; for your own circumstances, speak to a solicitor, conveyancer or qualified financial adviser.

Part 1 of 4 · Buyers

If you're buying

Whether it's your first flat or a family house, buying in Worthing follows the same broad order. Knowing it in advance saves you a good deal of waiting around.

In short

Tell us what you're after, get your finances ready before you view, and have a solicitor lined up for the day your offer is accepted.

Property for sale in Worthing

  1. 1Tell us what you're looking for

    Ring the office or call in and register with us. The useful things to tell us are your budget, how many bedrooms you need, which parts of town you'd consider, and anything you can't do without, such as parking, a garden or a ground-floor flat.

    We'll be in touch when something suitable comes up. You can also keep an eye on our Properties for Sale page, which we keep up to date.

  2. 2Get your finances ready

    If you need a mortgage, ask a lender or broker for an agreement in principle before you start viewing. If you're buying with cash, have proof of funds ready. Sellers want to know that a buyer can go ahead.

    If you have a home to sell first, tell us whether it's on the market or already under offer. It makes a real difference to how a seller weighs your offer.

  3. 3Arrange viewings

    Ring us to book, and we'll tell you what we know about the property and the street. When you view, look past the furniture: check the windows, the heating and any signs of damp, and walk the route to the station or the shops yourself.

    If you're looking at a flat, ask about the lease length, the service charge and the ground rent. A second viewing at a different time of day is always worth it.

  4. 4Make an offer

    Tell us the figure and any conditions, such as a moving date or items you'd like included. We pass every offer to the seller in writing, along with your position: mortgage or cash, and whether you have a home to sell.

    We'll ask for your agreement in principle or proof of funds. As estate agents we're also required by law to check your identity. The seller may accept, decline or come back to you. Worth knowing: in England, neither side is legally committed until contracts are exchanged.

  5. 5After your offer is accepted

    Your solicitor or conveyancer takes on the legal work: searches, questions to the seller's side and, for a flat, the lease. Your lender will carry out its own valuation, and you may want an independent survey as well. We stay in touch with both solicitors and let you know how things are moving.

    At exchange of contracts you pay your deposit and both sides are committed. On completion day the money changes hands and you collect the keys. Your solicitor will also tell you whether Stamp Duty Land Tax applies to your purchase.

Seen a home you'd like to know more about? Ask about a home for sale

Part 2 of 4 · Sellers

If you're selling

Most sellers start by asking how much their house is worth in Worthing. Here's how we answer that, and what happens from then until you hand over the keys.

In short

Book a valuation, arrange your Energy Performance Certificate, check your details before they go live, and decide on every offer yourself. We pass them all to you in writing.

Ask for a valuation

  1. 1Start with a valuation

    We come to your home and go round it with you, room by room. Then we talk through what similar homes nearby have sold for, what's on the market in your part of town now, and what buyers there tend to look for.

    You'll get a suggested asking price and an explanation of how we arrived at it. It's the starting point for a conversation; the asking price is your decision.

  2. 2Get your paperwork together

    Your home needs a valid Energy Performance Certificate before it's marketed. If there isn't a current one, we can explain how to arrange it. It also helps to gather guarantees and warranties, planning or building regulations paperwork for any work you've had done, and, for a leasehold flat, the lease and your latest service charge details.

    Choose a solicitor or conveyancer early. Having one ready saves time once you've accepted an offer.

A pink For Sale board on a post by a front garden fence, with the house softly blurred behind it
A local sceneA board goes up only if you'd like one

  1. 3Preparing and marketing your home

    We prepare photographs, a description and the key details, and you check all of it before anything is published. Your home then appears on our Properties for Sale page, with a board outside if you want one.

    A little tidying goes a long way in photographs: clear worktops, open curtains and a cut lawn.

  2. 4Viewings

    We arrange viewings at times that suit you and let you know who's coming. Afterwards we pass on what viewers said, including the less flattering comments, because that's what helps you decide what to do next.

  3. 5Offers

    Every offer comes to you in writing, with what we know about the buyer's position: whether they have a mortgage agreed in principle, a home to sell or cash. The highest figure isn't always the strongest offer, and we'll explain why when it matters. The decision is yours.

  4. 6From sale agreed to completion

    Once you accept, we send the details of the sale to both solicitors and keep in touch with them, and with anyone else in the chain, as the legal work goes on. You'll hear from us as things move, not only when you chase.

    At exchange of contracts the sale becomes binding and a completion date is fixed. On the day, the money arrives with your solicitor and the keys go to your buyer.

Thinking of selling? Talk to us about a valuation

Part 3 of 4 · Landlords

If you're a landlord

A letting agent can take a lot of the work off your hands, but some responsibilities stay with you as the landlord, whoever looks after the property. This is how letting through Groyne & Gable works.

In short

Have your safety certificates in order, tell us how involved you want to be once a tenant moves in, and we'll find and reference the tenant.

Enquire about letting your property

  1. 1A rental appraisal

    We look round the property with you and talk through what comparable homes nearby are letting for, and what tenants in that part of Worthing tend to ask for. You'll get a suggested rent and a straight view of anything that would help it let.

  2. 2What to have ready before an appraisal

    You don't need all of these on the day, but you'll need them before a tenant moves in:

    • A valid Energy Performance Certificate. In England, most rented homes must be rated E or above.
    • A current Gas Safety Record from a Gas Safe registered engineer, if the property has gas appliances. It's renewed every year.
    • An Electrical Installation Condition Report, renewed at least every five years.
    • Smoke alarms on every storey, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance such as a boiler.
    • Your mortgage lender's consent to let, suitable landlord insurance and, for a leasehold flat, any permission your lease requires.
    • Keys for every door and window, and instructions for the boiler and appliances.

  3. 3Finding a tenant

    We prepare photographs and details for you to approve, list the property on our Properties to Let page and arrange viewings. Where there's interest, we'll tell you about each applicant before anything is agreed.

  4. 4Referencing and checks

    Applicants are referenced for income and affordability, with a previous landlord reference and a credit check. In England, landlords must also check that every adult tenant has the right to rent in the UK before the tenancy starts.

  5. 5The deposit and the tenancy agreement

    A tenant's deposit must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, and the tenant must be given the scheme's prescribed information. Before they move in, tenants should also receive the government's How to Rent guide, the EPC and the gas safety record.

    Tenancy law in England has been changing, so we'll explain the rules that apply to your tenancy at the time you let it, rather than relying on how things used to work.

  6. 6Once the tenancy begins

    Some landlords want us to find a tenant and hand over from there; others would rather we were the tenant's first point of contact. Tell us which suits you and we'll set out exactly what that includes, so you and your tenant both know who to call.

Looking for landlord services in Worthing? How we work with tenants and landlords

Part 4 of 4 · Tenants

If you're renting

Renting a home, especially for the first time, involves more paperwork than most people expect. Here's the order it usually happens in, so nothing takes you by surprise.

In short

View, apply, get referenced, read your agreement, move in, and know from day one who to call if something goes wrong.

Houses to rent in Worthing

  1. 1Viewing

    Ring the office to view anything on our Properties to Let page. Ask about what's included: bills, furniture, parking, and whether pets would be considered. While you're there, check the phone signal, run a tap, and look for damp around windows and in cupboards.

  2. 2Applying

    If you'd like to go ahead, tell us and we'll explain how to apply. You may be asked for a holding deposit to take the home off the market while checks are done. It's capped at one week's rent, and we'll tell you in writing when it would and wouldn't be returned.

  3. 3Referencing

    Referencing usually covers your income, a reference from a previous landlord and a credit check. You'll also be asked for identity documents showing you have the right to rent in the UK. If your income doesn't meet the usual level, a guarantor may be an option; ask us early.

  4. 4Signing and moving in

    Read your tenancy agreement properly before you sign, and ask about anything that isn't clear. For most tenancies, the deposit is capped at five weeks' rent and must be protected in a government-approved scheme; you'll be told which one.

    Before you move in you should receive the How to Rent guide, the Energy Performance Certificate and the gas safety record. Check the inventory carefully on the day, and take your own dated photographs too.

  5. 5During your tenancy

    At the start we'll tell you who looks after your home: us, or your landlord directly. Report repairs promptly, and in writing, so there's a record. If you're unsure who to call, ring the office on 01632 960 418 and we'll point you the right way.

Found somewhere you like? Enquire about a home to let

Moving to Worthing

Around Worthing: which part of town suits you

Longer notes on the parts of Worthing people ask us about most. Treat them as a starting point: once you've read them, walk the streets at different times of day, and ask us about any particular road.

  • The seafront promenade running beside the sea, with seafront buildings on one side and a few walkers in the distance
    Town centre & seafrontA local scene on the promenade

    The town centre and the seafront

    Along the front and in the streets behind it you'll find flats in converted period houses, flats above shops, and newer blocks facing the sea. The pier, the shops around Montague Street and Worthing station are all within walking distance.

    It's the part of town for people who'd rather walk than drive, and for commuters who want the station close by.

    Tends to suit
    First-time buyers, renters working in town, and downsizers who want everything on foot.
    Worth asking about
    Parking, the service charge and lease length on flats, and how busy the street is in the evening.
  • A quiet tree-lined road of bay-fronted period houses with small front gardens
    Heene & West WorthingA local scene on a residential road

    Heene and West Worthing

    West of the town centre, the streets are mostly Victorian and Edwardian, with larger houses alongside many that have been divided into flats. You're a few minutes from the sea, close enough to walk into town, and near West Worthing station.

    It gives you period character without being in the middle of things.

    Tends to suit
    Couples and families who want an older house, and renters looking for a flat with more space than a new build.
    Worth asking about
    Whether a converted flat comes with a share of the freehold, and the condition of original windows and roofs.
  • A narrow local high street lined with small independent shops in older brick buildings
    Broadwater & TarringA local scene on a shopping street

    Broadwater and Tarring

    North of the railway line, Broadwater is mostly terraced and semi-detached houses on residential roads around Broadwater Green. Next door, West Tarring has an old high street with small shops and brick-and-flint cottages.

    Both have the feel of neighbourhoods in their own right, with local shops close by.

    Tends to suit
    Families who want a garden, and first-time buyers hoping for a house rather than a flat.
    Worth asking about
    Parking on terraced streets, and school admissions if you have children (see the note below).
  • An open green with mature trees and a footpath, with houses along its far edge
    Goring-by-Sea & DurringtonA local scene on an open green

    Goring-by-Sea and Durrington

    At the western end of town the roads are generally wider and quieter, with bungalows, detached and semi-detached houses. Goring runs down to the Greensward beside the sea, and both areas have their own railway stations, at Goring-by-Sea and Durrington-on-Sea.

    Life moves at a calmer pace here than in the town centre, with more space around each home.

    Tends to suit
    Downsizers looking for single-storey living, and families wanting more room inside and out.
    Worth asking about
    Bus and train routes if you won't be driving, and how much upkeep a larger garden will need.

A note on schools. We don't publish school ratings or catchment claims. School admissions in Worthing are coordinated by West Sussex County Council, so check the current arrangements with them before you commit to a road. If you'd like to talk about a particular street, get in touch with the office

Still not sure? Ask us

If your situation doesn't quite fit any of the four parts above, or you'd simply rather talk it through, call in at the office or ring. You don't need to have decided anything first.

Go to the Contact page

The officeThe Strand, Worthing

Open9am–6pm Monday to Friday and 9am–1pm Saturday

Ring01632 960 418