About to sell my house online! (advice welcomed)

argeetee

I’m about to sell my property online, maybe with one of the companies I’ve been researching below. Given the current state of the market, I’d be grateful if you’d advise me of anything you feel I should know.

My criteria for choosing an online agency is:

1. FEES - Avoid unnecessary & (esp.) hidden fees. With the current market I may need to withdraw the property from sale, so prefer “pay on completion” deals with no/minimal exit fees. I also hope this means better service.
   
2. Ability to correspond directly with buyers (I’m available/ok handling viewings/negotiations).
   
3. Wish to use my own conveyancer.
   
4. Good customer service from the agent - as no doubt there will be problems.
   
5. Easy editing of property details once published.

After many hours of research, reading reviews, terms and conditions etc., I’ve narrowed my selection of websites to:

• Esaleuk £995 payable on completion (early withdrawal from market fees = £150)
• Hatched £1695 payable on completion (early withdrawal from market fees = £FREE)
• HouseSimple £995 payable on completion (early withdrawal from market fees = £195)
• SellMyHome £1499 payable on completion (early withdrawal from market fees £350 - emailed query)

I'm arranging my own EPC and conveyancing.

Anything I have missed or should watch out for?

Thanks in advance for your help.

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UPDATE (30-Jan-2018)

SOLD!- After advertising in Nov 2017 with online agents Doorsteps for £99, (writing the description and making the photos ourselves), the property had numerous positive viewing and sold FAST (just completed). Feedback from viewers suggests that they really appreciate dealing directly with the seller. For us, after having dealt with so many time wasters and rubbish feedback via traditional estate agents, it was good to be able to establish for ourselves the quality of the candidates viewing our property. We had to deal with many more enquiries regarding the property but were able to track the sale progress in an efficient manner. People were very friendly, glad to be dealing directly. All in all it's an excellent result for £99 spent. I know there will be plenty of nay-sayers (how many EAs on this forum?) but the SAVINGS speak for itself!

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UPDATE (18-Oct-2017)

In the end due to a significant increase in pressures from work I (regretfully) went with a local traditional agent. I carefully selected them from a number of local firms, which I'd been courting for a few years.

This local firm with many many years reputation and glowing reviews GOT IT COMPLETELY WRONG, costing me thousands (what with the drop in market, mortgage payments etc.)

The agents were lazy to the extent that I have yet to receive a contract! I had to chase them over their poor photos, poor descriptions, not listing on Zoopla and more.

HOW ABOUT THIS: After a viewing they even left the from door unlocked for the best part of a week!

Through ineptitude or sheer laziness their team (yes about 5 of them) simply got everything wrong and the house is yet to be sold.

They over priced it. I knew they did that so within a couple of weeks I had them reduce it to a realistic amount.

I asked them if it should be "dressed" - I'm not living there and just moved and redecorated, refurbed etc.. They said leave it empty - a BIG mistake, as "dressed" properties sell way faster (I rectified that at further cost). I always had to request their "bland" and probably inaccurate feedback from viewings.

When they did get an offer from a "vetted" locally known regular buyer, they took the house off the market only for the "buyer" to then disappear, never to be heard of again!

Now I'm in a position to take control, will try to an online Agent, drop the price further, price it to sell and pass on the savings

So as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter what the agent says or say they'll do, it's best to get local recommendations from someone who has JUST used one, or better still DIY it!

PS. I strongly suspect many of the responses in this thread and elsewhere extolling the virtues of traditional Est. Agents are provided by the agents who have spare time in the office!

Hoploz

I would advise using a regular estate agent ... I'm wondering why you've decided to go to online only companies, is there a particular reason?

G_M

argeetee wrote: »

My criteria for choosing an online agency is:

1. FEES - Avoid unnecessary & (esp.) hidden fees. With the current market I may need to withdraw the property from sale, so prefer “pay on completion” deals with no/minimal exit fees. I also hope this means better service why is a traditional high street agent no as appropriate? a) you can withdraw - just negotiate a short contract period b) you think online will gve you better service? Why?
2. Ability to correspond directly with buyers (I’m available/ok handling viewings/negotiations). Makes sense, though there's no reason not to instruct a high street agent that you want to do your own viewings.
3. Wish to use my own conveyancer. errrrr.... of course! This is true whatever agent you use
4. Good customer service from the agent - as no doubt there will be problems. you've already suggested this above - I still don't understand why you think an online agent will give better CS
5. Easy editing of property details once published. Yes, perhaps. Though any decent high street agent will amend details if requested

After many hours of research, reading reviews, terms and conditions etc., I’ve narrowed my selection of websites to:

• Esaleuk £995 payable on completion (early withdrawal from market fees = £150)
• Hatched £1695 payable on completion (early withdrawal from market fees = £FREE)
• HouseSimple £995 payable on completion (early withdrawal from market fees = £195)
• SellMyHome £1499 payable on completion (early withdrawal from market fees £350 - emailed query)

I'm arranging my own EPC and conveyancing. Sensible. But irrelevant to the decision to use an onine agent.
.

Your logic is wierd. And incomprehensible.

I can see only ONE reason for using an online agent - price.

kinger101

Why might you have to withdraw you house from sale? If you have little faith it will sell, use the high street. Otherwise go with the fixed fee regardless.

I recently used one of the online agents you've not listed there and sold easily enough at the price I wanted.

emmatthews

Whilst you are happy, have you thought about your potential purchasers?

I would much rather view a property with an agent rather than the vendor.

I would much rather negotiate through an agent than directly with a vendor.

The house would have to be pretty special for me to view where somebody was selling themselves or using an online agent such as Purple Bricks.

3mph

As a buyer online EA are a pain in the...... I did and I would use a local EA since I reckon a good one will get back extra fees in getting a better price.

Maybe just me but I always get the impression that a seller using an online EA has cost cutting as a priority and I wonder whether they have the same approach to House maintenance.

argeetee

Thanks for your replies. In answer to some of the queries, the reason to go online is simple, to save upwards of £7k! I know my area very well and scrutinise daily other properties available. I've spent time with local agents and with the current market they simply are not sure what price it will sell at. I'd like to go with a good trusted local EA but their fees (even after negotiation) are exorbitant and their contracts designed to tie up my flexibility. I'd like a fair & quick sale, undoubtedly passing on some of the the savings to the buyer. My local EA have contracts which can only be described as draconian. I had wondered about how a potential buyer would feel about meeting the vendor, so may consider using an accompanied viewing option.

Any more thoughts?

3mph

What value is your house since I sold mine last month for just under £500k and EA fees were £3000 + vat which I agreed at start. It wasn't on a % since EA said same work for one with lower or higher price.

But sold in 2 days so I suspect they knew who to sell to.

Which was justification for using local EA and not online

argeetee

Thank you for your response.

I'm beginning to wonder why in the responses, there's such an emphasis on using a traditional EA when clearly that's not my intent. This thread runs the risk of being converted into a comparison of online and traditional EA's.

I wish to reiterate that I will only be using an online EA and hope further comments can address my queries regarding that approach.

Thanks

kinger101

emmatthews wrote: »

I would much rather view a property with an agent rather than the vendor.

I would much rather negotiate through an agent than directly with a vendor.

Really? I always preferred the vendor showing me around.

If you ever got beyond your own preconceptions about what online agents do, you'd realise that you don't make an offer to the vendor.

kinger101

3mph wrote: »

But sold in 2 days so I suspect they knew who to sell to.

Yes, someone who phoned them up and said I'd like to arrange a viewing, and then subsequently made an offer. You're making it all sound more mysterious than it actually is.