Selling house without estate agent 2026 Guide

Many homeowners automatically reach out to an estate agent when they decide to sell their properties. But selling via the traditional on-market route is not the only option. Selling a house without an estate agent can make the process simpler, faster and more cost-effective. 

What Is a Private or off-Market House Sale?

In a private house sale, the property is sold directly to the buyer, without using the services of an estate agent. An off-market sale means selling without public advertising. 

This type of sale is popular with homeowners who need to sell fast because there is no waiting around for viewings to take place and offers to roll in.

Why Sell without an Estate Agent?

There are several benefits of selling a house without an estate agent: 

• Save Money —  estate agent fees range from 1.53% to 3.97% in the UK. A homeowner selling a property for £239,196, the average house price as of August 2020, would incur agency fees of between £3,660 and £9,496. Therefore, selling privately can save you thousands of pounds.

• A Faster Sale —  the homeowner does not have to rely on an estate agent to respond to their queries or pass viewing bookings on, which can be a slow process if the agent is juggling multiple clients. The fewer people involved in the sales process, the quicker it is likely to be.
• Take Control — the seller has complete control of the sale process. They determine how much effort is put into advertising and securing bookings. A homeowner is likely to give their all to selling their own property, whereas to an estate agent, your property is just one of many on the books.
• Personal Knowledge — a homeowner is better equipped to answer buyers’ questions and provide information that could persuade an interested party to make an offer. An estate agent will view the property and make sure that they have essential information to hand when hosting viewings, but someone who lives in the property will be able to give more personalised information that can be reassuring to a prospective buyer — the neighbours are friendly and considerate, the house is economical to heat and the neighbourhood is safe, etc.

How To Sell Your House without an Estate Agent – 8 Simple Steps

Selling a house without an estate agent can mean more work for you. If you choose to sell on the open market but manage the sale yourself, you will be responsible for setting the asking price, advertising your home, hosting viewings and negotiating the sale. If you decide to cut out the estate agent, you’ll still need to instruct a solicitor or conveyancer to handle the legalities of the sale. 

If you want to sell your house fast without an agent, be sure to:

1. Prepare Your Home for Sale and Instruct a Solicitor

A well-presented home that is in a good state of repair is much more sellable than a rundown property. If you have the time and budget to make major home improvements, installing a new heating system, adding a loft conversion and updating the kitchen are some of the most effective ways to add value to a home. 

If you have neither the funds nor the time to conduct major works, small budget improvements can make a real difference to how fast a house sells and how much the final sale price is. First impressions count, so make sure the exterior of your home is freshly painted, the grounds or garden tidy and that clutter is removed. Complete minor repairs such as dripping taps, replace highly-personalised decor with neutral tones and designs, carry out a deep clean and consider adding a few decorations to stage your home before viewings. 

You won’t need a solicitor until you accept an offer on your home, but finding one early in the sale process will prevent delays later on. It can take time to find a solicitor or conveyancer that you’re happy with. Do your research online and ask people you know for recommendations. Conveyancers offer the same services as a solicitor yet are often cheaper, so this option is definitely worth considering.

2. Set an Asking Price

Many estate agents offer free valuations without any commitment to use their services, so you could take advantage of this to help you decide on the asking price, even if you do not want to use an agency to sell your property. Alternatively, research the price of similar properties in your area. Properties that have sat on the market unsold for months may be priced too high. Recent sold prices will give you a good idea of what is fair for a local property of your type, size and condition.

Beware of setting the asking price too high. Research shows that properties that are put on the market with an inflated price and subsequently reduced can take twice as long to sell.

3. Advertise Your Property

Some of the major property portals like Rightmove and Zoopla only allow estate agents to add property listings (they pay a monthly fee for the privilege). However, there are plenty of places you can advertise your home for free. Contact local newspapers and directories or use websites such as PropertySell and House Ladder to tap into a huge online audience. 

Make sure that your advert really sells your home. Most property searches start online and a poorly written ad or one with grainy images will not help you to secure viewings. Consider hiring a professional photographer to show your property at its best. When writing the property description, highlight the features that will appeal to your target buyer. If you’re selling a large family home, mention the outstanding local school and proximity to parks. If you’re selling a luxury city apartment, target young professionals by mentioning the onsite gym and the hip bars nearby.

Estate agents have reported a change in buyer trends since the first COVID-induced lockdown in March. Some of the most sought after property features currently include a garden, fast-wifi, proximity to green spaces, a home office and a rural location. If you’re lucky to have a property that ticks any or all of these boxes, make the most of them in your advert.

4. Get an Energy Performance Certificate

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) were introduced on 1 August 2007 by the government to reduce the UK’s carbon footprint. Anyone selling a home must apply for an EPC before they can put their property on the market. This certificate provides the buyer with information about how energy efficient your property is and details of how this could be improved. 

The cost of an EPC varies depending on the size of your property and the company that prepares it, but the fee is typically around £100. You will need to identify an accredited energy assessor to compile your EPC.

5. Arrange Viewings

If you work or have other commitments such as childcare, accommodating the date and time preferences of potential buyers when it comes to viewings can be a challenge. COVID-19 has prompted a rise in the popularity of online viewings, which are both safer and potentially more convenient for busy private house sellers. You could also enlist the help of friends and family, but they may not be able to answer every question a buyer asks. However you manage it, delivering friendly yet professional and informative viewings is key to securing offers and ultimately a sale.

6. Negotiate a Price

Negotiating a sale price can be the trickiest part of selling a house without an estate agent. Selling your home is an emotional experience, but it’s important to keep a clear head and remain objective during negotiations. Decide on the minimum amount you would be willing to accept and make sure this is realistic and reasonable, taking into consideration factors such as the results of the survey and the current housing market. Don’t be afraid to negotiate and always remain friendly and professional to maintain a positive relationship — a buyer who initially rejects your terms may return after they’ve had a few days to think about it.

7. Accept an Offer

Whether you’ve had one offer or five, ultimately you will have to choose one to accept. Do so verbally in the first instance, then follow this up in writing — either in an email or a letter. The sale becomes legally binding when contracts are exchanged, but having a clear acceptance of the offer in writing will help things run smoothly. Contact your solicitor — or instruct one if you have not done so already — and let them know that you have accepted an offer.

8. Exchange and Complete

Your solicitor or conveyancer will handle all the legal aspects of the sale, including agreeing on exchange and completion dates with you and the buyer’s solicitor. When the contracts are exchanged — usually a week or two before completion of the sale — the transaction becomes legally binding and neither side can withdraw from the sale.

Benefits of selling home privately

Although there may be more work involved in managing the sale yourself, selling a house without an estate agent offers several benefits: 

Cost Savings

The average estate agent fee reached 1.53% of the sale price in October 2019, and some agencies charge as much as 3.97% for properties in prime locations. Based on these figures, a homeowner selling a property for £239,196 — the average house price in the UK as of August 2020 — would be charged between £3,660 and £9,496 in agency fees. 

If you manage the sale of your house yourself, you can completely eradicate this cost. If you already have a buyer lined up — a family member, friend or neighbour, for example — an estate agent’s service will be largely superfluous.

Control

You will retain total control over the sale process. There will be no waiting around for a busy estate agent to get back to you. A homeowner is more likely to pull out all the stops to sell their own home than an estate agent for whom your property is just one of many they need to sell to earn their commission. This makes it less likely that opportunities will be missed (provided you can dedicate enough time to market and sell the property).  

Speed

Cutting out any unnecessary third parties will speed up the sale process. If a quick house sale is top of your list of priorities, selling without an estate agent could be a great choice.

A Higher Chance of Obtaining Offers

You know your home better than any estate agent does after one quick visit and a perusal of the property details. If you choose to manage the house sale and viewings yourself, you can answer all those little questions buyers have that only you know how to respond to — what are the neighbours like? Is the local school any good? How busy does the road get during peak periods? A buyer who goes away with all the information they need is more likely to make an offer than one who leaves a viewing with questions and uncertainties. 

Sell Your House Without an Estate Agent With House Buyer Bureau

If you want to take advantage of the benefits of selling a house without an estate agent but don’t have the time or inclination to manage the entire sales process yourself, House Buyer Bureau can help.

With just a little information from you, we can make a cash offer on your home. We have the funds to buy any type of property in any condition in England and Wales (and some parts of Scotland). Our team is set up to complete the whole process remotely and can complete the sale in as little as seven days. Once we have your information, we’ll take care of everything and work to your schedule. 

Contact our team of house cash buyers today — we’re here to answer your questions or to provide a cash offer on your property.

Chris

Chris

Chris has worked in property all his career, first as a successful estate agent before spotting a gap in the market for buying property directly from people looking for a simple, quick sale.

He has a passion for property and as an experienced valuer, has looked at well over 50,000 properties so far at HBB. He has extensive experience in property buying and regularly comments in the press on property matters, trends and promotes ways to simplify and speed up the selling process.

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