Selling Property Privately or with an Estate Agent?

publication date: May 11, 2010
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author/source: Kate Faulkner, Property Expert and Author of Which? Property Books
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Selling Property Privately or with an Estate Agent?


Selling your property privately or using an estate agent, can be a dilemma. Most people seem to hate estate agents without ever having used one or for the right reasons! And the growth of the internet has meant lots of new entrants into the market promising to ‘sell your property’ for you either for free or for less than £100.

It’s an attractive proposition on the surface, saving thousands of pounds and not working with an agent. But selling a property yourself isn’t for the faint hearted and it is particularly NOT for busy people!

Answer any of the following questions with a ‘no’ and selling privately is probably not for you. Answer our questions with lots of ‘yes’s’ and perhaps selling privately is for you!
 
  1. Are properties selling fast in your area (within 6-8 weeks)?
  2. Are you happy to receive lots of enquiries on your home phone, mobile or via your email address?
  3. Have you the time to organise viewings as well as keep the property tidy?
  4. Are you comfortable showing people around your own home?
  5. Will you be able to handle buyers looking around your home and then never getting any feedback or having your calls returned?
  6. What if someone doesn’t like your home, can you cope with the criticism?
  7. If someone makes a really low offer, can you politely turn them down?
  8. Are you happy negotiating with potential buyers?
  9. Once you’ve accepted an offer, do you have the time to chase all the other buyers and sellers?
  10. What if the buyers pull out – can you cope with going through everything again?

If you said ‘yes’ to more than five of these questions, then selling privately might be worth a go. If you said ‘no’ to more than five, then it’s better to sell via an agent. Although, it is possible to do both!

Want to know how? Email enquiries@designsonproperty.co.uk or telephone 0845 838 1763.

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Need help with a property problem? Have a question? Why not call Designs on Property on 0845 838 1763 or Contact Us via email.
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