In This Guide

choosing an agent

Conveyancing

Holding viewings

Negotiation

Planning your sale

Prepare your home

Seller's Packs

Selling at auction

Selling in Scotland

Selling privately

   1. Sell your home privately

   2. Valuing your property

   3. Publicity

Selling your home

Using estate agents

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Selling privately

Sell your home privately

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Selling a house is a stressful activity at the best of times. Trying to synchronise a sale and a purchase is even more so. Trying to synchronise a private sale with a purchase is the toughest of the lot, so you should be prepared for a rollercoaster of emotions and a lot of hard work on the way to achieving your goal. However, the upshot is that you could save the entire commission that would otherwise be paid to the estate agent. Considering it can run at 3 percent or even higher, this can amount to a sizeable sum - sometimes as high as five figures.

Some of the activities involved in selling your home such as preparing the property and conveyancing are the same regardless of the means you choose to find a buyer. However, when you are selling your home privately, you must take on at least two of the activities that are normally the responsibility of the agent. Click the headings for more information:

Setting the asking price
You can do this with or without any outside help, but the price you set is ultimately up to you.

Generating publicity
If you tell them, they will come. But just how do you attract potential buyers to your home without the budget and clout of an estate agent behind you?

There are also a further two tasks that sometimes get carried out by the agent and sometimes directly by the vendor, which you will be unable to avoid carrying out yourself if you sell privately:

Holding viewings
You may only get one chance to show someone your home, so being prepared is always a good idea.

Conducting negotiation
With thousands of pounds potentially at stake, it's worth thinking out your bargaining strategy. To get more detailed help than is available on this site, why not buy one of the books on selling your home that is available in our vital reading section.

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