What is a reasonable fee?

martinthebandit

googler wrote: »

Their website says they have "Regional service" in Birmingham, Essex, London, Manchester, South Wales, Surrey, Yorkshire - so if you're outwith these areas, they're unlikely to have any significant local knowledge, wouldn't you say...?

Yes, if only there was some way of finding out how much similar houses in the area actually sold for ..........

...... or the OP could base it on the valuations she has already had

john_white

martinthebandit wrote: »

Yes, if only there was some way of finding out how much similar houses in the area actually sold for ..........

...... or the OP could base it on the valuations she has already had

So, if they live in an area with not many comparable sales, or the market is moving (up or down) they may struggle to price it correctly. Also a street or 2 can make all the difference. My point being by guessing, I may get little interest and get it too low, by just £1.5k and I'm better off with an agent.

As for option 2, yes, in this instance they could, but, what you are saying is you want EA's to provide free services to the public?

I think there is merit in the DIY route, but, I don't like the fact at present it seems fair to have EA's value your property use that information they have provided and then slate them, whilst at the same time sing the praises of a DIY site who cannot provide the information needed to market your property in the first instance. As they charge a set up front fee the services are not really comparable.

Remember most agents ar no sale no fee, so why not use an agent at market it at 2k more, if it doesn't sell, then go DIY at the lower price. No point spending £600 upfront when you don't need to.

googler

martinthebandit wrote: »

Yes, if only there was some way of finding out how much similar houses in the area actually sold for ..........

Of course there is/are - zoopla and the like for a start.

However, how will the online agent from outside the area have any knowledge of the properties that didn't progress to sale, were on the market for months then were withdrawn, properties that weren't on the top portals, those that were advertised by owners rather than agents, etc.....

Don't you need to know about these to have a full picture of what's selling (and more significantly) what isn't or hasn't been selling....?

martinthebandit

It all depends on how much added value a high street estate agent brings, and if they are quoting 2k plus for marketing a house it wants to be a lot of added value.

hermanmunster_3

I sold a house 18/12 ago and paid 0.5% to agent

pixiepie99

In terms of getting valuations, the way I see it is you do your research. This includes looking at similar properties on Rightmove, sold prices on Zoopla and talking to your local estate agents. Also, even if you're thinking about going with one of the online estate agents, I don't see a problem with inviting a few of the local estate agents round to value your house and convince you that the local service they offer is so great you'd be mad to try to save yourself £2,000 in fees by going online.

Hoof_Hearted

It's very good of agents to come around and value your house for free. However, it's a bit of a stretch to imagine that their valuations are "accurate". They are looking for a quick sale to turn their money with minimal affort or over-valuing to get you on the books, with price reductions to follow once you are tied in.

When we were selling our house, we had a fair idea of its value. We were involved in a large renovation of our new house and needed a "worst case" price to work out the most conservative budget. We were told we should get £385,000 with worst case £375,000. We thought we would get £390,000 and went with HouseNetwork at that figure. In the end we had several offers over asking price and sold for £410,000.The local agent was £25,000 out! Local knowledge, doh!

Hoof_Hearted

john_white wrote: »

I think there is merit in the DIY route, but, I don't like the fact at present it seems fair to have EA's value your property use that information they have provided and then slate them, whilst at the same time sing the praises of a DIY site who cannot provide the information needed to market your property in the first instance. As they charge a set up front fee the services are not really comparable.

Remember most agents ar no sale no fee, so why not use an agent at market it at 2k more, if it doesn't sell, then go DIY at the lower price. No point spending £600 upfront when you don't need to.

I recognise your point but the potential savings are huge.

In my case £7,000 plus to a high street agent or £400 to an online agent for the sake of a bit of work on the price and doing the viewings.

If the savings were marginal, I would agree, but they are not.

pixiepie99

Just thought I'd give you all an update: we decided to go with House Network last Saturday and had the photos done this Saturday just gone. The listing went live this morning and was on Rightmove by this afternoon:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-34644694.html

Hoof_Hearted

googler wrote: »

Click spam button...?

Blimey, an estate agent trying to suppress information about a cheaper alternative....