Selling a house privately might sound a little intimidating.
It shouldn’t.
Plenty of people choose to leave estate agents out of the process.
Here’s why:
Is it difficult to sell your home without an estate agent?
No, it doesn’t have to be.
The reason most homeowners choose to sell their house through an estate agent is because they don’t want any perceived hassle.
Working alongside people in the property sector can offer peace of mind, with the agent taking on the bulk of the process, and reporting back to you at certain stages.
Selling a home by yourself means you will have to take on extra responsibility, which inevitably means more legwork. You’ll need to get a valuation, organise advertising, arrange viewings, liaise with solicitors, act as a go-between for negotiations, handle paperwork.
However, for some, the benefits of going it alone far outweigh the negatives.
The benefits of selling your home privately without an estate agent
No drawn-out waiting periods
Waiting for a phone call is nobody’s idea of fun. Communication, or lack of, can be one infuriating aspect of dealing with estate agents. If you end up with an agent whose client list is particularly lengthy, then the chances are you’re not going to be a priority. If the process becomes a tiresome, drawn-out affair – punctuated by messages of ‘we’ll get back to you soon’ – patience can soon wear thin. And this is even more relevant if you’re looking to sell your home quickly. When time is of the essence, going backwards and forwards with an estate agent is the last thing you need.
Complete control over the process
If you want something doing right, do it yourself. Zero reliance on third parties can actually remove a lot of the stress involved with selling a property. By cutting out the middleman, it will be you dealing directly with everyone. Having complete control over the pricing, listing, advertising, viewings, is a huge plus for some people. No misunderstandings, no wondering whether your estate agent is doing the job to the best of their ability, no second guessing everything. It also means you can go as slow, or as quick, as you want, without having to answer to anybody.
Save money throughout the sale
Who doesn’t like saving money? One of the main reasons people forgo the use of estate agents is money. Expensive fees can be hugely off-putting for sellers, with the majority of agents charging around 2% of your house value for their services. That may not sound like a lot, but depending on the house it could result in you handing over thousands…and if money is tight, and equity low, this could make a huge difference to the bank balance. You will have to take on the role of agent yourself – take photos, sort floorplans, arrange viewings, do the marketing – but if you have more time than money, it’s ideal.
Arrange your own property viewings
Nobody knows your house better than you. By arranging your own viewings you will be personally showing potential buyers around the property. An agent may not know all the answers to a buyer’s question, and this could be the difference between them making an offer or not. You will know about the local schools, the neighbours, what the area as a whole has to offer. Whereas the agent may not even be from around the area. An interested party is going to feel a lot more confident dealing with the owner, and as an added bonus, you will be able to assess their reactions first hand.
If you are organising private viewings, make sure you have somebody with you. At the end of the day you are letting a stranger into your home.
Privacy
It may well be that you don’t want Mr and Mrs Jones from down the road to know you’re moving. Selling private keeps it private. Arranging a sale without an estate agent means you won’t need to market the property online or in the newspaper, and the ‘for sale’ sign can stay down.
This can be seen as a big benefit to sellers.
There you have it. There are plenty of benefits to selling without an estate agent, but it still may not be an ideal solution for you.
Hull Cash Buyers bypass estate agents – so no selling fees – yet we still offer a fountain of local property knowledge for you to tap into, and a guiding hand throughout the whole process.
Guaranteed peace of mind.
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More FAQs
On average, how much can I save by selling my home without an estate agent?
Estate agents generally charge a percentage fee based on property value, so how much you will save depends on how much your house sells for. On average, agents take a cut of between 0.75% and 3% of the final selling price. So if your house goes for £200,000, selling a home without an estate agent could save you between £1,500 and £6,000. Agents fees can be negotiated so be sure to try before proceeding.