On behalf of my mum, she asked me to find out whether there is a website where she could sell her house privately. I advised against it, but she is convinced she will be able to sell without EA fees, so can anyone recommend a good internet site.

I have seen lots of sites but never used one, my main problem with advertising on the internet is unknown people coming to your house, that would not be a situation i would want to be in, i dont know that you can check who is exactly who they say they are on those sites.
I have recenlty sold my house and i would suggest mentioning it to neighbours, my neighbour bought my place for his daughter, so it does happen.

I'm debating about this too. Lawyerlady kindly provided the self HIP info. i looked at property market I think? They have greenish boards.
A run down one is for sale five doors down so I was hoping anybody viewing that would see me board!
You could get a package and board for £70. It will kill me to pay an EA.
And people will be coming into your house regardless of who shows them.
You should keep an eye on them because I know of someone who put a lovely photo frame from a showhome in the bottom of their pram shocking.

And danny from your previous thread, don't you wish you'd just stuck up a home made board for a week beforehand?

I meant house ladder.

I wouldn't be keen on having unescorted 'buyers' traipsing around my home if I was there on my own. When I have used an EA I've insisted on accompanied viewings only.

Exactly, holy cheese! LOL

But had the neighbour not been someone i knew for 40+ years Iwould not have gone down the path of internet selling.

It is only my personal choice, others will find nothng wrong with it and be comfortable with it.

But one thng i would add, is if anyone does try internet/self sale and prospective buyers come to view make sure you get their details and if it doesnt work out and you do have to go to an agent at some stage in the future you could save yourself a lot of trouble if you can let the EA know that some ppl came to you first, before the sign was up, mail was sent out, etc.

In hindsight that is what i would do differently.

quote:

I wouldn't be keen on having unescorted 'buyers' traipsing around my home if I was there on my own. When I have used an EA I've insisted on accompanied viewings only.

If I was very worried I've got quite a large bro-in-law.
And re; the stealing things, I've got a lot of stuff to ebay and freecycle - I might just pack up my good stuff and leave that out in the hope it disappears!

I would always try a 6 week window for a private sale before engaging an EA.

Word of mouth is sometimes the best advertising.

My Son has just sold his house to a neighbour by informing all close neighbours he was selling up so it does work and I sold my last house on a private sale.
Mel.

This is what I think too. I loathe the idea of just going with an EA, who knows what I could've saved by paying out £70 for a couple of weeks wait before going with an EA. You never know, I hate the mere thought of handing over my EA fee if I didn't give it a week or two first.

I would definitely do what Mel's son did - tell neighbours/friends. That is how I bought my last house, my vendor asked neighbours if they knew anyone who wanted to buy in the area and one of the neighbours gave them my name. Not having an EA involved made it easier, as well as cheaper for the vendor.

EAs don't tend to checkout the people they send to properties, so that shouldn't be something you should be more worried about. Ask anyone who comes round to bring some form of ID with them.

Try an ad in the local paper - someone might be looking, or potential buyers from outside the area might start there to see what is ongoing. Even a car in the local newsagent might get someones attention, or get them to pass your details onto someone they know.

If you are in a high turnover area then word of mouth might easily get some interest and save you a few quid.

Excellent, now does anyone know some people in the Morecambe Heysham area they can tell ? - because I still don't know anyone!

quote:

Even a car in the local newsagent might get someones attention,

that's brilliant marketing!! paint my property details on an old banger's windscreen and smash it through a shop window.
malkie you crazy genius

quote:

Originally posted by malkie:
EAs don't tend to checkout the people they send to properties, so that shouldn't be something you should be more worried about. Ask anyone who comes round to bring some form of ID with them.

True but in my area the EA accompanies every viewing (at least they do if you tell them to). So you are not left alone with a mad axe murderer (unless the EA is one too ). That is important if you are a single female, but probably less so if you are a 18 stone male wrestler.

Perhaps you could adapt the old telling someone where you're going and make it known you've notified a neighbour or something?

Or casually open the door in a karate outfit with black belt?

Do you think it has ever happened? That a random viewer has done something? Apart from the well-known case of EA meeting people and not coming back - Suzy L was it? Has anyone heard of any case in private selling?

No idea. (It was Suzy Lamplugh.) But inviting random strangers into my house when I'm on my own just isn't something I'd do.

sorry about the typo - meant 'card' not 'car'

I've been on plenty of viewings without EA in the past - sometimes wonder what we pay them for

Nevertheless its always worth having someone at home with you when the viewers come round. Someone with a nice smile who is petite (and hence makes your house looks bigger!)

quote:

Someone with a nice smile who is petite

my two kiddies and Danny Devito to host viewings then.

Loot to a Private Sale option... well, they used to several years ago when I worked for them. You could see if they still do it. They used to give you a for sale board to use, internet space, and a pack explaining how the thing works. Of course nowadays you would need to get a HIP done, but I think you can hire someone to do that if need be on top of your Private Sale pack fee.

Good luck.

Ary.

Rightmove??
They get you on Rightmove? That may be well worth a squint if they do. Do I get a sign?

As I appear to awaken when the rest of the country sleeps I've ferreted around on the site.
They seem to be quite good, not as cheap as the one I was considering but saying you can have a board for £10, all the big photos and virtual tour and floorplans, AND get on rightmove all for about £550 - that's not bad at all.
Their conveyancing seems to be reasonable aswell.
It seems more of a middle ground than "free" sites and then shelling out £3000. I'm going to google houses/property for sale and if they come up near top - that's me sold

Thanks for the tip Wendy

Speaking as someone who - touch wood - will be giving an EA a fat wodge of my money for a couple of hours work very soon, I should be against using an agent. But in the current market the only buyers who'll respond to a private add will be those wanting a house very cheap. So that wipes off any cash you'll have saved by not employing an EA.

In a burgeoning market where properties of any kind are scarce there's a good case for a private sale. At the moment when houses are only worth what the market says they are I'd (reluctantly) suggest employing a good estate agent.

if I could find "a good estate agent" I would. I can't say what I think of them!! You can gather I have had bad dealings in the past.

No explanation necessary. Depending on the market EAs are either at your feet or at your throat. I lost one investment property a few years ago after having my asking price offer accepted when a 'friend' of the agent gazzumped me! In the hot market of the early noughties I had agents treat me with condescention to barely concealed contempt.

The point stands - this is one market when EAs actually have to earn their corn, in the short period till they go out of business and become holiday reps before reincarnating again in about seven years time.