What agreement so I want with the Estate Agent?

Financial_Savvy

I will be hopefully soon be putting my house on the market.

Can I talk down the commission that the Estate Agents want? They vary from 1.35% to 1.95% ?

How long should the agreement be?

Also if I sell privately would I also have to pay their fees? Is there a contact which means I can sell priviately and not have to pay them?

Bit scared by the whole process.

Thanks

Jorgan_2

Firstly I would say never choose an agent purely on the basis of their fee. Decide which agent you are most comfortable dealing with, which one is most likely to achieve a sale, then work the fee out.

Are all fees + VAT?

You want to sign a 'Sole Agency' contract, not a 'Sole Selling Rights' contract. The latter means you have to pay the agent, even if you sold to your parents, during the contract period.

Make sure you fully understand the length of the contract, is it 12 weeks + 4 weeks notice? In which case its a 16 week contract.