How To Sell Your House Without Estate Agent In 2021
Selling your own house without an estate agent can save you thousands of pounds. Learning the ins and outs of this competitive industry is a powerful weapon when it comes to selling a property. In this article you will learn how to sell your own house without an estate agent in 2021 and aside from that I will tell you what estate agents won’t tell you about selling your house.
Table of Contents
10 Steps To Selling Your House Without An Estate Agent
1. Make your house sellable and presentable.
If you want to sell your house on your own then make it a sellable house. People don’t want to see your mess, they want to see your rooms and anything that could negatively detract from being able to see them clearly is a bad thing.
Renovating is optional but if you are thinking of renovating the house, you must first focus on the kitchen and bathroom, those are the rooms that can traditionally sell the house. You just need to clean the house, maybe repair some of the damaged elements and put some new paint to make it look presentable and more sellable.That way, people can see they can live with it until they can afford to change it.
2. Set a price
After making your house presentable and sellable, it is the best time to set the price of your house. This is the time you would normally rely on the help of an estate agent however, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it alone. Indeed, you may be better off.
No agent can obtain a price higher than another. The market is the market, thanks to the power of the internet. It’s a cruel trick to give you false hope on value and a tactic designed to flatter you into using that particular agent.
Do your own research instead. SellMyHouseQuickly.co.uk provides a free evaluation of nearby comparable properties.
3. Write a description
Your house looks presentable and sellable and you already set the price for your house so you’re ready to show to the buyers how great your property is. But first you need to write a few lines about your home to help entice buyers through the door. You may be tempted to write a detailed account of how wonderful it is, complete with examples of your interior design skills, but keeping the information concise and to the point is more productive.
Just make your description simple. Buyers skip through lengthy descriptions.
4. Take the best photos
Photos are useless if they don’t do the property justice. The images should market the home specific to that property. If it’s a remote rural property then purchasers will want to see a range of shots that show the property off – the land available, the views and so on.
If it’s a modern property in a central location then lifestyle shots showing the fixtures and fittings may be of more interest than, say, photos of the bathroom.
In almost all cases the communal living areas should be shown at their best, along with the most appealing angle of the front and a couple of decent garden shots, looking both to and from the house.
You could use a professional photographer, who will charge around £200, to take a wide range of images.
5. List the property
If you decide to “do it yourself” without any agent, you will need to take care of advertising, pricing and viewings yourself. This is a good option if you already know someone who is interested in buying your home.
But you can also make use of “for sale by owner” websites, such as thehouseshop.com and houseladder.co.uk. These websites charge no commission to sell properties, instead making their money through targeted advertising and optional services.
However, they will not be able to provide you with access to the major property portals such as Zoopla and Rightmove, as these accept advertisements only from estate agents.
Facebook and Twitter are other good tools that can help you to reach a mass audience.
Remember that while the internet is the major tool in the housing market, it’s a mistake to overlook more traditional methods such as advertising in your local paper.
6. Arranging viewings
Estate agents are normally on hand to show your property, which is beneficial for those people who work during the day. However, to avoid paying estate agent fees, you could enlist the help of family or friends to show potential buyers around your home while you are at work. Or simply arrange viewings for evenings or weekends.
If you are going to show your home yourself be sure to consider the safety implications of allowing strangers into your home. If possible, have a friend or partner with you.
7. Negotiating a price
When it comes to the financial dealings of home selling it’s important to keep a clear head and not become intimidated by price negotiation.
Decide how much you are willing to accept beforehand and don’t go below that figure – regardless of how nervous you may be or how anxious you are to sell the house.
If you turn down an offer, always try to do so in a friendly manner; you want to be able to leave the door open just in case you do decide to accept the offer further down the line.
Keeping communication friendly also means the buyer will feel comfortable approaching you should they decide to increase their offer.
8. Accepting an offer
When you’re ready to accept an offer do it verbally in the first instance and then via email or post. But remember nothing is legally binding until the exchange of contracts, which will be several weeks down the line.
9. Instruct a solicitor
Once you’ve accepted an offer, you’ll then need to instruct a solicitor or conveyancer to sort out the legal work. Just as you would when employing the services of any professional, be sure to do your research in order to find a good one.
10. Deal with renegotiations
Once a buyer has instructed their own surveyor they may want to renegotiate the price of the property. If they have found something wrong with the property they may feel their original offer is no longer fair.
Ensure the buyer shows you the survey report. If it genuinely lists areas of concern that have to be addressed then aim to split the cost. Often though, it may turn out to be a ruse to beat you down on price, so stand firm.
13 Things your real-estate agent won’t tell you (Dirty Little Secret)
1. If I’m hugely successful, you may not get the benefit of my experience. A well-known agent may pass you off to a junior agent after you sign the contract. Ask me exactly who will be handling your phone calls, marketing your house, and taking you to look at homes before you sign to ensure you get exactly what you’re paying for.
2. If I’m new in the business, my references are likely to be relatives or good friends. So when you call, always ask how they found me.
3. Even if I’ve had my license for a few years, I may be a soccer coach moonlighting as a real estate agent, and yours may be the first home I’ve tried to sell in years. Ask how many transactions I completed last year, and Google my name to see if it comes up on real estate forums and websites.
4. If you get a call saying that some buyers want to see your house in 15 minutes, let them in even if it’s a bit messy. Those last-minute types typically make impulsive decisions, and they just might decide to buy a house that day.
5. In this kind of market, don’t be offended by a low-ball offer. You have a better chance of getting that person to pay than finding someone new.
6. Beware of seller’s agents who overestimate your house’s selling price. They’re hoping you’ll choose them over other agents who will price it more realistically. We call that “buying your listing,” and it guarantees your house will sit on the market for a very long time.
7. The commission is always negotiable upfront, before you sign a contract. You can even make it part of the transaction. If you and your buyer are $4,000 apart, for example, ask the agents if they are willing to reduce their commissions by $2,000 each to bring the deal together.
8. Make sure you read my listing or buyer’s contract carefully before signing it. There may be an extra “administrative fee” ranging from $250 to $1,500 on top of my standard commission, intended to cover my brokerage’s administrative costs. Similar to my commission, this fee is negotiable.
9. Houses without furniture don’t look larger. Empty rooms may actually appear smaller because the buyers can’t get a sense of how much furniture will fit.
10. My No. 1 selling tip: Clear off counter tops in the bathrooms and kitchen. Americans love that wide-open counter space.
11. I can’t share the economic standing or predominant ethnic background of the people in the area or the local crime rate. If I did, I would violate Fair Housing laws. So look them up yourself!
12. Don’t skip the final walk-through. It’s your last chance to make sure that repairs were done properly, that the owner’s personal items have been removed, and that the items you agreed should stay are still there. I’ve seen stoves, washers and dryers, and beautiful chandeliers walk right out the door.
13. It might make more sense for you to rent. It often costs less, gives you the flexibility to move at a moment’s notice and you won’t have to shell out a lot of cash for unexpected repairs.
FAQ
Yes, it is possible to sell your house without an estate agent. Selling your house without a realtor is a great experience, you will be taking some of the role yourself. You will need to arrange viewings for the interested buyers. You will be the one managing the marketing of your own property.
Yes, it is possible to sell your own house on your own. Selling your own house is a great idea if you have the best interest to sell it on your own and you don’t want an estate agent to be involved in your property and save some commission fee
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