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How To Sell A House Privately

Orange door on a beach

How To Sell A House Privately

Wondering if selling a house privately is for you? Read below as we delve into all things private house sales…

Tom Condon
Tom Condon ★ Digital Content Writer

Table of Contents

Selling a house privately can be attractive to many people, especially if you are downsizing, the children have moved out, or you are retired. Private sales can bypass estate agent fees but make the entire process much more complicated if you don’t have experience selling privately.

In this article, we will cover what selling a house privately actually means, how to sell a house privately, if selling a home privately is for you, and the alternatives to selling privately. 

What Does Selling A House Privately Mean?

If you want to sell your house but don’t use an estate agent or auction house, this is known as selling your house privately. Most people avoid selling their homes privately because they would rather spend extra fees than wait for extensive amounts to sell their homes.

When you sell your house with an estate agent, it can take anywhere from four to six months to sell on average, and an auction house may take around three months to complete. On average, selling your home privately may take anywhere from six to twelve months, more than double the time of an estate agent.

But, if you have the time, patience and dedication to sell a home and carry out all the necessary stops – it can be an inexpensive route to selling a home. You will need to arrange all the advertising and negotiations with buyers and organise viewings.

It’s important to note that one of the advantages estate agents, cash buyers and auction houses have is they have access to the Rightmove and Zoopla property portals – they do not allow access to the general public to list houses, so you would be missing out on a critical marketing stream.

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How To Sell A House Privately

When you sell a house privately, you are undertaking a massive project, and there are many things you will need to balance. You first need to make sure that selling privately is the route you want to take. You could use an online estate agent (like ourselves) who will offer to pay all your fees, negotiate with potential buyers and advertise your property all for free.

Once you begin to sell your house privately, you should make your property presentable and repair any quick fixes. You should clear your property of any clutter and mess to ensure potential buyers can imagine themselves in each room. 

 

If you are selling your house without an estate agent, you could highlight favoured spaces in the home with features or a new paint lick; we recommend redecorating with neutral tones. You should deep clean your property and consider hiring cleaners to clean all carpets, bathrooms and kitchens thoroughly. 

 

If you have any damages that a tradesperson can quickly repair, like electrical fittings, cracked tiles or leaky mixers, you should hire professionals to fix them or do it yourself (carefully). It’s worth spending a little bit of extra cash on a tradesperson here as buyers will be able to notice minor damages that you have lived with for years — and you do not want to make anything worse by doing it yourself. 

 

Your garden, drive and patio should all be spruced up to increase the curb appeal; this will include mowing your lawn, making sure all your plants are hydrated, and you remove any unnecessary weeds.

You could set an asking price yourself, but we recommend against it. If you decide to do it yourself, you should factor in the following:

 

  • Market trends of the local area – available on Zoopla or Rightmove; look at previous sold prices.
  • Property trends – check property-based news websites for up-to-date information on the housing market.
  • The age of your property.
  • The number of bedrooms.
  • Size and shape of your garden.
  • Parking spaces available.
  • Location and proximity to amenities.

 

If you decide to contact high-street estate agents for a valuation, you should aim to have three different agencies value your property and then create an average overall. This is because estate agents may try to overvalue your property to win your business, and making an average will give you a more balanced point of view.

 

When selling a house privately, you should establish a fair and evidence-based asking price. Some online estate agents offer no-obligation house valuations, which often cost less, and you do not need to carry on with your service. These evaluations will help you create a realistic asking price.

It is highly recommended that you refrain from carrying out DIY conveyancing if you sell your home privately. You will have to balance the house sale and the lengthy legal side, which can be the most complex part of a house sale.

 

Instructing a solicitor or conveyancer early on in the private sale process is essential to ensure that the solicitor can process any legal bumps smoothly. It would help if you choose a solicitor that is highly experienced, rated and is a specialist in private house sales.

Once you have prepared your property for sale, instructed solicitors and set a realistic asking price, it’s time to advertise your property. 

 

The first thing you should do when selling your property privately is to take high-resolution photographs of your property; we recommend using a DSLR. You should take photos on a sunny day as the natural light will make your pictures look more spacious. You could hire a professional photographer as they are trained to take interior photographs.

 

As mentioned previously, you will not have access to the Rightmove and Zoopla property listing portals, but you will be able to list on other smaller listing websites. But, the easiest way to sell your property is by putting advertisements in your local newspapers, social media, local forums or community noticeboards. Word-of-mouth marketing will work wonders in selling your property without an estate agent. 

 

In the advertisement, you should include documents that remove any hesitations from potential buyers, like a floor plan, room-by-room guide or Electric Performance Certificate.

Before you have any viewings on your property, you should organise a plan to tour your prospective buyers around the property, showing off the best features of the property and have a list of questions that you think the buyers will ask:

 

  • Have you had any other interest in the property?
  • What fixtures and fittings are included in the sale?
  • Why are you moving?
  • How much is the council tax?
  • What are the best local schools?

 

When selling your home privately without an estate agent, you should stay professional and friendly and not rush the buyers around the property. They will be trying to imagine themselves in the space, so it’s essential that you give them ample time to react to each room. 

 

If you cannot attend a viewing, you should have someone else jump in to take the viewing, as rescheduling can annoy and push away potential buyers. It would help if you also thought about having someone else in the house as you conduct viewings for security reasons.

Once you find a buyer, the buyer may start putting in offers for your home. If you set a fair asking price at the start of the process, you will attract more buyers than if you overvalued your home. It would help if you came up with a minimum amount you are willing to accept, as some buyers will go below your asking price.

 

Negotiations can be stressful, emotional and challenging as you want the best price for a home you’ve probably spent years living in. But the buyer will want to pay the minimum possible for the house so they can start their new life. It’s essential to try to find a middle ground when negotiating. 

 

If you decide to turn down an offer, you should do it politely, as the buyer may put in for a counteroffer later in the process. But it would be best if you were willing to negotiate with a buyer about how much you are ready to accept and how much they are willing to pay for your property.

 

The process is legally binding once you exchange the contracts so that you can entertain multiple offers from buyers before the exchange.

When you have an offer you are happy with, and you decide to accept, it’s essential to ask them for confirmation in writing along with any terms you have agreed, which could include:

 

  • The price.
  • How long to exchange.
  • How long to complete.
  • List anything agreed within the sale.
  • List anything agreed to purchase over and above the sale price.

If you instructed a solicitor or conveyancer earlier in the process, by this stage, they should be ready to go as soon as you accept an offer. Conveyancing can be one of the longest stages of a house sale, so it’s essential that you stay in clear communication with your solicitor and the buyer’s solicitor. 

 

If you want to avoid dealing with solicitors, house viewings and advertisements, sell to us! We will handle all aspects of the sale and can sell your home within 28 days. This is only a fraction of the time it would take to sell your property privately.

Is Selling A Property Privately For You?

When choosing the best route to sell your property, there are numerous factors to consider. It would be best to balance the advantages and disadvantages of selling a house privately without an estate agent.

If you need to sell your house fast, selling privately will not achieve this. We will buy your home in as little as 28 days, pay all of your legal fees and be able to help you with any onward purchases.

We will sell any property in any location, whether it’s unmortgageable, a bunker or Big Ben. Our team are specialists in the property industry and will be able to help you with any problematic properties you wish to sell. Selling a problematic property privately can be very hard, and you may need a lot of luck to sell in the market.

You will find the process a lot easier to sell in a market where the demand for property outweighs the supply for a property. Online estate agents (like ourselves) have strategies to sell houses when the market is outside our favour.

If you are already juggling full-time jobs, children or home renovations, you will need to seriously weigh up if you have time to sell and market a house. You can do it, but it will take a significant amount of your life and cause much stress.

It would be best if you didn’t let estate agents ruin the house-selling process for you forever. We are an online estate agent whom hundreds of customers have trusted to sell their homes. We have an excellent rating on Trustpilot. We are also members of the National Association of Property Buyers and The Property Ombudsman — which means that we follow a strict set of rules that ensure we treat you fairly throughout the process.

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What Can Go Wrong; Selling A Property Privately?

No matter which routes to selling a property you take, there will be a high chance of something cropping up and going awry. The possibilities are maximised during a private house sale as you need the expert guidance of an estate agent to guide you through the process. Here are a few examples of what can go wrong:

 

  • You may receive a lot of attention for your property but only a few offers because people are just window shopping or are potential sellers looking to see what they need to do to prepare their homes for sale.
  • Anything information you advertise about your property should be as accurate as humanly possible. This is because if it’s not, legal issues can arise from potential buyers looking to get a property for cheap. You do not want to misrepresent the value of your home in any way.
  • There is very little you can do in vetting people looking around your property; you should be wary of invasive questions about your property’s security and make sure there is always someone else in the house as you conduct viewings.

What Is The Best Alternative To Selling A House Privately?

If you are on edge about selling your property privately, there are several alternatives — you don’t have to go it alone. You can choose to use a traditional estate agent, an auction house, a cash buyer or an online agent. 

 

The best alternative to selling a house privately is through an online estate agent like us. We provide a fast, effortless and free service for all our customers — promoting a hassle-free selling process wherever your property is in the United Kingdom. 

 

We are different from any other online or traditional estate agent on the market; with our transparent and honest customer service, we make the goal of your making your time with us as effortless as possible. We have access to Rightmove and Zoopla, which will market your house to over 98% of all potential buyers.

 

By selling with us, you will save on estate agent fees just like you would selling privately, but we will cover all your legal costs and take the hassle out of all negotiations. We will always value your property honestly and give you an accurate starting price.

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Average Cost To Sell A House

Solicitor talking to clients about the average costs to sell a house

Average Cost To Sell A House

What is the average cost to sell a house? Find out below as we delve into all costs and fees associated with selling your home.

Tom Condon
Tom Condon ★ Digital Content Writer

Table of Contents

Average Cost To Sell A House

If you are wondering what the total cost of selling a house is in England and Wales — you are in the right place! In this article we will delve into all things house selling and what the costs involved are.

What Is The Average Cost To Sell A House?

In the UK, selling a house can be pretty expensive; as of July 2022, the average cost of selling a home is £10,401 for the UK’s average at £292,000. The total selling price will vary depending on the estate agent’s commission, mortgage interest, solicitor fees and any additional services.

Please note that all houses will differ significantly and even if your selling price is £292,000, the costs may be more or less depending on your situation.

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Average Costs To Sell A House

ServiceCosts
Estate Agent Fees£2920 - £8760 (1-3% Of the Final Sale Price).
Conveyancing Fees£1690 (Inc.VAT) Solicitor's Legal Fees.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)£60-£120 (Inc. VAT).
Removal Company Costs£1181 - 3 Bedroom House (50 Miles).
Mortgage Exit Fee£50-£300.
Early Mortgage Repayment Charge1%-5% of Outstanding Mortgage.
Capital Gains TaxVaries.
Porting A MortgageUp To £450 For Valuation

Estate Agent Fees

Traditional Estate Agent Fees

If you use a high street estate agent, you can expect a 1.18% commission fee (plus VAT). Selling a home at the average UK house price of £292,000 will see estate agent fees of £3445.60. Around 95% of all house sellers use traditional estate agents.

Estate agents base their commission fee on a percentage of the final sale price. They can charge 1% and 3% of the property price — which is set when the property is sold. Some estate agents work on a no-sale, no-fee service, which means they won’t charge you at all if you don’t manage to sell your property.

It would be best if you asked for a list of their additional services upfront so you can have transparency through the house-selling process. You want to avoid being surprised by any hidden fees later down the line.

Online/Hybrid Estate Agents

Most online or hybrid estate agents will charge a fixed fee between £300 and £1500, and less than 5% of home sellers use online estate agents. Usually, 50% of all homes fail to sell through online/hybrid estate agents, meaning half of all home sellers have to pay twice before they are successful.

However, we charge no fee at all! If you sell your property with us, whatever your selling price is, you will receive it.

Conveyancing Fees

The average solicitor costs for a freehold is around £1,270, and a leasehold is £1,420. When selling a property, you will need a solicitor or a conveyancer to handle the legal process of the sale. The average conveyancing fees include the solicitor’s legal fee and conveyancing disbursements.

Leaseholds are often more expensive when dealing with solicitors, and they involve slightly more leg work to be done and can often be quite complex. Some conveyancers will offer a fixed fee conveyancing service, so you should make sure before you choose a solicitor.

Disbursements are payments where your payments are made on your behalf by your solicitor and then claimed back. Examples of disbursements claimed during the house-selling process include:

  • Title Deeds Copy £6 – Land Registry documents are used to prove you are the legal owner of the house; you will only need a copy of the title deeds.
  • Telegraphic Transfer Fee £40 – A bank transfer fee is required when your conveyancer needs to transfer money. The transfer fee tends to differ between £25 and £45.
  • Anti-money Laundering Checks £5 – The buyer and seller will be checked to ensure your money comes from legitimate funds.
  • Mortgage Property Supplement Fee £220 (If Applicable) – Your solicitor will liaise with your mortgage provider to process the redemption of your mortgage.

 

You must choose your solicitor carefully, making sure that they are CLC, SRA, LSS, or LSNI regulated. We will pay for all your estate agent fees if you decide to use our service.

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Mortgage Fees

If you sell your property with a mortgage, you’ll face some costs; mortgage exit fees and early repayment charges.

Mortgage Exit Fee

To close your mortgage, you must pay your provider a mortgage exit fee. Depending on your mortgage provider, this will typically cost between £50-£300.

Early Repayment Charge

You might be liable to pay an early repayment charge if you’ve already paid off your mortgage or if you are leaving your mortgage before your fixed term ends. This will typically cost between 1-5% of the loan.

If you still have a mortgage and you want to sell your home, you can either transfer your current mortgage or find a better deal by remortgage. Both options will mean you have to pay potential fees like:

  • Arrangement Fee – £1000-£2000.
  • Booking Fee – £100-250.
  • Valuation Fee – £150-£1500.

EPC Certificate Costs

You might be liable to pay an early repayment charge if you’ve already paid off your mortgage or if you are leaving your mortgage before your fixed term ends. This will typically cost between 1-5% of the loan.

EPCs are used to help you improve the chances of getting your home sold. It will give potential buyers an accurate idea of the property’s energy usage and costs. It will also help you to make specific improvements to your property, like the safety of electrical wires and how to cut down on energy costs.

Only accredited assessors can carry out an EPC, but you can arrange one through your estate agent or directly from an EPC lender. Energy Performance Certificates are valid for up to ten years, so if you sell your property within ten years, you do not need to get another one. All EPCs are stored digitally by the government.

Removal Company Costs

The average cost of using a removal company is £1181. You should ensure that you have a removal company ready by your arranged completion date. Usually, removal companies can be booked up weeks before, so you should get this done quickly. You could organise self-storage if your move-out doesn’t match up to when you move in.

Removal costs will vary significantly depending on the number of bedrooms you have in your house and the number of miles they will be travelling:

Size Of HouseCost of Removal Companies Per 50 MilesCost of Removal Companies Per 150 Miles
1 Bedroom£365£468
2 Bedrooms£576£688
3 Bedrooms£806£918
4 Bedrooms£1056£1168

Preparing House For Sale Costs

Getting your house ready for sale can be inexpensive, but using professional services may increase the chance of selling your property. You should clean your house before viewings and photographs and before the buyers move in. If you have any infrastructure issues like dampness or Japanese knotweed, you should try and resolve this before putting your house up for sale. Examples of costs can:

  • Cleaning – £0-£150.
  • Painting – £50-£1000.
  • Fix Repairs – £0-£2000.

Buyers will try and negotiate a price down if their survey pulls up any red flags. You can pre-empt this by fixing any repairs or expect this to crop up.

Capital Gains Tax (CGT)

If you receive a profit on the sale of a house and it is not your main place of residence, then you have to pay Capital Gains Tax. A basic-rate taxpayer will pay around 18% capital gains tax and 28% in a higher tax bracket. You will need to pay Capital Gains Tax if you are selling a:

  • Inherited Property.
  • Buy-to-Let.
  • A Holiday Property.
  • Business Premises.
  • Land.

What Is The Average Cost To Selling A House With The Property Selling Company?

By selling your property with The Property Selling Company, you could save upwards of £6000 based on a £292,000 home. We will never face you with hidden costs or surprise you with commissions. Our service is paid for by us, so you never have to pay a penny.

Sale ProcessTraditional Estate Agent (3 Months)Online Estate Agent (2 Months)The Property Selling Company (28 Days)
1st Advertised Price£300,000£292,000£292,000
2nd Advertised Price£292,000£292,000£292,000
Sold For£294,000£287,000£292,000
Estate Agent Fees£290,531£286,000£292,000
Additional Fees£289,030£283,200£292,000
Total£289,030£283,200£292,000

When you’re ready to sell your house fast, choose us! You will benefit from our honest and transparent customer service. We will provide you with an improved, streamlined service away from the traditional high street estate agent. We believe that selling a property shouldn’t be time-consuming or complicated and aim to sell your house in more than 28 days — completing within twelve weeks. You will be in safe hands as we cover everything from floor plans, photographs, write-ups, viewings and legal fees.

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  • You will benefit from honest and transparent customer service
  • You will be in safe hands as we cover everything including floor plans, photographs, write-ups, viewings and your legal fees
  • You will have an improved, streamlined service away from the traditional high street agent
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Best Online Estate Agents UK

Best Estate Agents

Best Online Estate Agents UK

Who are the best online estate agents in the UK in 2022? In this post, we will cover and compare all the best online estate agents and how we differ from them all.

Tom Condon
Tom Condon ★ Digital Content Writer

Table of Contents

How Should You Compare Online Estate Agents?

When researching which online estate agents to use in the UK, there are multiple ways you should compare different companies. One of the main attractions of using an online estate agent over the standard high street agent is that the fees are reasonably minimal.

However, the services offered under the fee can differ depending on the online agent. For a decent online estate agent, you should expect to have photography, floor plans and advertising for a basic fee.

Some estate agents (we won’t name and shame) will charge you for these essential services, and others will charge you a fee for additional assistance. These additional services may include sale progression, negotiations, viewings and local property knowledge.

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Compare The Best Online Estate Agents In The UK, 2022:

  • One package available for a £0 agent base fee.
  • Package summary – Comprehensive free package includes everything generally associated with selling a property; photos, floorplans, local property expert valuations, offers & sales negotiation, viewings, and advertising.
  • 100% Sale price achieved.
  • 4.7 star Trustpilot review.
  • Four packages available with a £999-£1999 base fee.
  • Hybrid estate agents with dedicated local agents to manage viewings and offers via an online dashboard.
  • 97% Sale price achieved.
  • 4.7 star Trustpilot review.
  • One package available for 1.2% +VAT of sale price. No sale, no fee.
  • Hybrid estate agents with hundreds of local agency branches, photos, floorplans, sale boards, viewings and advertising included.
  • 98.8% Sale Price Achieved.
  • 4.8 star Trustpilot review.
  • Three packages available ranging from free to £599.
  • The comprehensive free package includes a bare minimum; extra packages include hosting and advertising.
  • 96% Sale Price Achieved.
  • 4.5 star Trustpilot review.
  • Three packages available ranging from £99 to £999.
  • Hybrid estate agents; £99 package includes a basic minimum with additional extras for a fee.
  • 100% Sale Price Achieved.
  • 4.8 star Trustpilot review.
  • Two packages available; £1199 and £1999.
  • Hybrid estate agents; One fixed fee package with viewing additional fee.
  • 97% Sale Price Achieved.
  • 4 star Trustpilot review.
  • One package available; for no base fee.
  • No selling fees, full service provided.
  • 100% Sale Price Achieved.
  • 4.1 star Trustpilot review.

What's An Online Estate Agent?

Online estate agents differ from traditional, local agents as they are run through websites and portals instead of a local shop. Some online agents offer a more basic service than conventional agents but have much lower fees. Online estate agents are categorised further:

    • Hybrid Estate Agents – Work online and employ local property agents to handle inquiries, negotiations, viewings, open days, or advice.
    • Online Only Agents – The seller will have to do some leg work themselves, from taking photos, creating marketing materials, and conducting negotiations and viewings.
    • The Property Selling Company – Offer an online-only service but will carry out all things associated with selling a home ourselves; we will even pay all your fees!
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How Do Online Estate Agents Work?

The services provided by hybrid agents are similar to those of a traditional estate agent, but the benefits are pulled back slightly. Some online estate agency services are stripped back even further.

 

Both services will offer valuations, marketing and viewings — albeit for an additional fee. They will also provide a negotiation service and offer acceptance until the sale is complete.

 

The further you go through the process, the more you may encounter a higher fee than the basic package. You will not face any fees with The Property Selling Company.

Online vs High Street Estate Agent Fees

Traditional local estate agents will charge you a percentage of your home’s selling price, but online agents will (mostly) charge fixed fees. Online agents are often much cheaper than traditional agents.

 

One downside of using an online agent over a traditional agency is that you will probably have to pay an upfront fee, regardless of whether you sell your home. This is a double-edged sword, as the agent will be less likely to sell your home for the highest price.

 

Some online estate agents will offer a no-sale, no-fee service, which means that you don’t have to pay until you sell your property, reducing the risk of wasting your money.

 

The Property Selling Company doesn’t ask for any fees. Instead, you will benefit from us agreeing on a sale price with you, and if the property sells for more than the agreed price, we will take our cut. We believe in transparency in everything we do.

What's The Difference Between Online And High Street Estate Agents?

Online Estate AgentsTraditional Estate AgentsThe Property Selling Company
Will offer an upfront fixed fee, no sale, no fee, or cover the costs themselves.Will ask for a percentage of the sale price.Will not ask for an upfront fee or percentage of the sale price.
Can communicate with you 24/7, and contact is accessible via email and telephone.Most local estate agents will work 9am - 5pm and cannot contact you after work.Can communicate with you 24/7 and always available to talk via email and phone.
The packages can be tailored to your specific requirements, and you can track the progress.Most don't have a progress dashboard, but the packages can be tailored to your situation.We can tailor the timescales and situations to your life and how fast/slow you want to sell your house.
There is no contract period with most online agents, meaning you could use other estate agents simultaneously.Traditional estate agents ask for a contract period where you are exclusive to them for about a month.We ask for a 28 days exclusivity period, but we are confident we will be able to sell your property in that timeframe. If not, then you can exit the contract fee-free.
Some online agents need to gain local knowledge, even if they have regional reps.Most traditional estate agents will manage and negotiate between buyers and sellers, saving you time and energy.We can use our regional reps, existing property knowledge and market trend analysation to provide the best local knowledge possible.
Some online agents will not offer to negotiate or act as a middleman between selling parties.Traditional estate agents will manage and negotiate between buyers and sellers, saving you time and energy.Our excellent property experts will handle all your negotiations, offers and completion - creating a hassle-free experience for you.
The majority of the time, you will need to conduct viewings yourself.You do not need to conduct viewings yourself; real estate agents have years of training.Our property experts will handle all the marketing, advertising, and viewings, so you don't have to.
Due to the fees imposed by the agency, they will be less likely to push for the highest possible selling price.Traditional estate agents can wiggle the selling price for the property more than online estate agents.Whatever sale price we agree with is the money you will receive directly from your bank.
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