buy or sell without an estate agent
Managing a house sale or purchase over the internet can save you a whole heap of agents’ fees – and with our guide, it’s safe and easy, too…
Buying or selling? Cut costs by taking matters into your own hands
Using a high-street estate agent to handle the sale or purchase of your home has, up until now, been the traditional option. But with the rise of online agents, doing it yourself is a lot less complicated than it may seem. In terms of how much input you have, you can go it alone completely (in which case see citizensadvice.org.uk to avoid any pitfalls), or choose between various websites that give you as much, or as little, assistance as you require.
Selling
An online agent doesn’t have a walk-in office or specialist knowledge of the area, but they could save you a tidy sum – enough to fit a new bathroom or kitchen in many cases. The way they do this is to charge a fixed fee (as little as £40, up to
a few hundred, depending on the package you choose), regardless of your selling price. By contrast, a high-street agent will charge a percentage of your final sale price, so this is only an estimate until you sell, and is usually into the thousands.
According to web agent tepilo.co.uk, 98 per cent of property searches now begin online, so it’s more important that you’re there rather than in a shop window. Websites such as isales-uk.co.uk are ideal for helping you get started and letting you take control. For more assistance and, importantly, being listed on rightmove.co.uk and zoopla.co.uk, sites such as emoov.co. uk offer a choice of options, from simply helping you list your place, to photography, arranging viewings and taking on the negotiations (which can be good if you want to depersonalise things). One aspect they all have in common is that you will handle the viewings yourself. This might seem a bit daunting, but you really are the best person to do this as you will be able to answer all the questions and you know the area. Moving house without a high-street estate agent is a very real option and, without a doubt, will save you money.
Buying
The bigger online companies, such as emoov.co.uk, advertise on rightmove.co.uk and zoopla.co.uk, so you can simply browse these. Alternatively, you can visit websites individually – it all depends on how much time you’re prepared to spend. When you are interested in a property, they will put you in touch with the owner and things will go from there. Depending on
what ‘package’ the owner has signed up for, you may only encounter them when viewing, or they may be involved with the whole process, negotiations and all.
Private sale
If a property is being sold privately between two parties you don’t need an agent at all. You may wish to use one for a free valuation, but there are sites such as nethouseprices.com which compare prices in your area if both parties are happy with that. You will, however, still need an Energy Performance Certificate (see checkpoint 3, right) and a solicitor for the paperwork.
GET AS MUCH, OR AS LITTLE, ASSISTANCE AS YOU LIKE FROM AN ONLINE AGENT – AND SAVE YOURSELF MONEY IN THE PROCESS