Searching for a house without an agent

Nick9967

Hi all 
I'm down sizing in prep for retirement, have been looking in our village for a quite a while to but they go quickly, recently going within 12 hours because the agents seem to be selling outside of normal advertising without even letting me know they're available , I'm on their books with detail - its started to p....s me off now so have posted on village facebook for any likely sellers! why not i thought what can i lose? anyone had any experience trying to buy without an agent?  

DE_612183

few years back I did my own mail shot and had success in finding a seller.
he got the property valued and we agreed on a price.
he was chain free so that made it easier without a EA

Flugelhorn

You may get someone who is thinking of moving and decides to contact you - it saves them the EA fees.

Decades ago I sold 2 houses by putting small ads in the local paper - they cost about £7 each. Both sold very quickly (the market was mad at the time). I was rather naive though as I hadn't got a clue as to whether the people who were offering had got the funds / mortgage / a chain etc etc - but then that seemed less of a problem then. Both sales completed with the original buyers. My solicitor was  a star and quite happy  not to have an EA - just had to supply him the details of the buyers and the amount agreed

Nick9967

I'm even getting to the point that id be happy to give an agent 0.5% instead of the usual 1.2-1.5 just to see it through even if i find the seller my self !  just frustrated at not getting a stab at the good ones!

SallyDucati

One of my neighbours wanted to move from a 2 bed house to a 3 bed on the same estate.  I suggested she put a message on our WhatsApp group and she did, and someone did sell to her, so definitely worth a go. 

diystarter7

Hi

As you are also selling, its going to be harder.
If you are in a possible ready to go position which judging by your post you are not, leaflet drop every month.
Possibly sell up and then rent and buy for cash - risks, you know what they are

Good luck

Nick9967

Thanks all

fackers_2

Nick9967 said:

Hi all 
I'm down sizing in prep for retirement, have been looking in our village for a quite a while to but they go quickly, recently going within 12 hours because the agents seem to be selling outside of normal advertising without even letting me know they're available , I'm on their books with detail - its started to p....s me off now so have posted on village facebook for any likely sellers! why not i thought what can i lose? anyone had any experience trying to buy without an agent?  

You could also put flyers through doors of houses you really like to buy, I did this and got interest. Rightmove isn't the only place to see listings but it is the most likely.  Regarding to selling, you could put it on marketplace and have many people share it but likely to not get as many eyes on it as a professional site.

theoretica

As you ask about smaller houses it is worth letting people know you are downsizing - just incase there is someone looking to upsize and you can buy each other's houses.  That happened near my parents - organised when two people were chatting in the hairdresser's!

EssexHebridean

We found our current flat by printing off half a dozen flyers and popping through the doors of our desired properties. Turned out that two of those we leafleted were still in council ownership - of the remaining 4 it happened that two responded to us. I’m sitting in one of them as I write. 🙂 

We did end up going through an agent as the seller felt more comfortable doing that - but the actual finding the flat was done without.