In the bustling UK property market, the majority of properties are marketed and sold by traditional estate agents. But let's delve deeper and explore just how crucial their services truly are when it comes to selling your home. Is it worth navigating the selling process privately, without relying on an estate agent?

Can I sell my house without an estate agent?

Yes, technically it's possible to sell your home without an estate agent. And, if you have the time, experience, and resilience, this option could be worth considering. Selling without an estate agent and directly to the buyer is known as a private house sale.

But, before you take the plunge on a private property sale, it's important to thoroughly research everything an agent does when selling a home. This will help you decide whether the money you save on their fee is worth the stress of selling one of your most valuable financial assets all by yourself.

Pros of selling a house without an estate agent

1. No estate agent fees

As with any service, there's a cost associated with using an estate agent. This is generally a percentage of your final selling price. Most traditional estate agents offer fees between 0.75% and 3% + VAT - but this can change depending on several factors - the size and location for one.

Some estate agents - usually online estate agents - charge a fixed fee upfront. We recommend avoiding these types of property experts: if they aren't able to sell your home, you won't be refunded your fee.

2. Control over the entire process

The other reason some people choose to avoid working with estate agents is because they'd like greater control over the entire selling process. This can be a detriment to your sale if you aren't completely prepared. Selling a home is a massive undertaking, and one most can't do alone.

3. Not all estate agents provide top-level service

There are over 18,000 estate agencies operating in the UK. Not all of them are going to perform at the same level.

The best way to find a local property expert that meets your requirements is by comparing them using hard data. Our free Estate Agent Comparison Tool allows you to compare local agents according to experience, speed, and previous asking prices achieved or compare their fees vs performance.

While these positives might appeal to those with prior experience of marketing and selling property - there are a number of cons that come with the 'do it yourself' method…

Cons of selling without an estate agent

1. Time-consuming

Taking on all of the responsibilities of an estate agent is a full time job. You'll need to find the time to arrange marketing and logistical materials (like floor plans and your Energy Performance Certificate), conduct viewings, handle negotiations, and chase all the relevant parties during the conveyancing stage. The level of contact estate agents provide throughout the homeselling process is easily underestimated.

2. Restricted marketing opportunities

The biggest online property portals (Zoopla and Rightmove) will not accept a property listing from an individual. This means you'll have to find other ways to market your property.

You could start by distributing leaflets in your local area, putting up a 'for sale' sign, or listing your property on private listing websites or using local newspapers.

3. Valuations

Putting your property on the market at the wrong price could leave you with less money overall. But, getting an accurate valuation of your property can be incredibly difficult without the help of an expert.

Without an accurate value, it could be harder to set an appropriate asking price. You could ask a surveyor to inspect your property, but they will charge a fee for this.

You can read more about the different types of surveys available and their costs here.

4. Covering the costs of selling

You'll have to cover the costs of selling upfront, and you won't get a refund if you don't sell. These costs include: professional photography, marketing materials, and advertising space. You can read the full breakdown in our guide, 'How much does it cost to sell a house'.

5. Security risk

There's always a security risk when it comes to inviting strangers to look around your home. If you choose to sell your house by yourself, you'll need to make sure you take adequate precautions during viewings.

6. No financial or legal protection

Using an estate agent to sell your house means you'll also be protected financially and legally should anything go wrong. Most estate agents operate on a 'no sale, no fee' basis. So, if you don't end up selling your home, you won't have to pay for the time the estate agent invested into trying to sell your home, or cover any of the costs of marketing. If something more serious goes wrong, you'll be able to seek recourse from the Property Ombudsman.

You won't have this if you choose to sell your house by yourself - and small mistakes can have big ramifications and legal fees can add up. For example, if your floor plan is inaccurate you can legally be sued by the buyer for misrepresentation.

How do I value my home without traditional estate agents?

Valuing a property is an art form. If you underestimate the value of your home, you’ll end up losing money.

On the other hand, if you overvalue your property, it won't sell. Potential buyers will get suspicious if it looks like your home has been on the market for too long.

There are three main ways to approach valuing a property without an estate agent:

1. Online valuation tools and house price calculators

Online house price calculators can be a useful place to start for a brief indiction of your property's value.

Try our free Instant House Valuation Tool - receive an instant property valuation by just entering a few details about your home.

2. Pay a surveyor

Probably the most accurate way to get a valuation without using an estate agent is to pay a surveyor to examine your property.

3 Market analysis

You could also attempt to value your property yourself. To do this, you would have to undertake an extensive analysis of the property market in your area, before carefully examining your own property within this context. We go into more detail about how to value a property here.

Can I advertise on Zoopla or Rightmove without an estate agent?

No - unfortunately you won't be able to advertise on Zoopla or Rightmove, if you decide to sell your house without an estate agent. The most popular property portals - including Rightmove, Zoopla, and OnTheMarket - will only allow you to post an advert on their site if you're working with an estate agent.

Thousands of people visit Rightmove and Zoopla each month. Around Christmas, the number of people surfing property portals consistently reaches into the millions. Clearly, the most popular property portals are vital tools in your marketing arsenal if you're looking to sell your home.

Because of this, if you decide to sell your house without an agent you'll have to consider alternative marketing channels. More often than not, you will end up doing much more work to achieve the same results as a Rightmove or Zoopla advert.

Will I save money by selling without an estate agent?

In most cases, you won't save money by selling your house with an estate agent. You'll find that working with a traditional estate agent is better value for money than trying to sell your home on your own.

There are two reasons for this:

You're likely to sell your house for more if you use an estate agent

Research by The Advisory found that, on average, high street estate agents were able to achieve a 5% higher asking price than simply selling a house online. This more than compensates for the fee that they charge.

2. There are costs covered by estate agent fees that you'll still have to cover

While you won't have to pay a commission fee if you choose to sell your house without an agent, you'll still have to pay for the things the fee covers. This includes (but not limited to):

• Floor plans
• Photography
• Online adverts
• Offline marketing
• Materials like leaflets, for sale signs, and newspaper adverts

Remember: Most local estate agents work on a no sale no fee basis. This means there's less risk if you don't end up selling. If you're on your own, you won't get back the money you spent on upfront selling costs if your house doesn't sell.

Other ways of selling your house without an estate agent

While 'do it yourself selling' is a common way of avoiding working with estate agents, there are other alternatives to consider too. These include:

Selling at auction

Properties that need doing up, have potential to extend, or are not attractive to the average buyer (because they are hard to mortgage, or the lease is short) get the most interest at auctions. Auction houses will usually charge both a non-refundable entry fee and commission.

To read more about selling at auction, head here.

Selling to a cash buyer

Most professional cash buyers are property investors. They look to buy properties below market rates to 'improve' them through renovation and extension, then sell them on or rent them out for profit.

The cash buying world has, at times, been a murky industry. Due to a lack of industry regulation, some homeowners have ended up worse off than if they'd sold with an estate agent.

To read more about selling to a cash house buyer, check out blog, 'Should I sell my house to a cash buyer?'.

Part exchange schemes

A part exchange home scheme is where you trade the value of your property against the value of a brand new property. New build part exchanges aim to make substantial gain, which is why you'll never get the full price for your valuation. You can read more about how part exchange schemes work in our blog on part exchange.

None of these options will leave you walking away with the full market value for your property - in fact you're pretty much guaranteed to not - but the benefit of these methods is that you'll sell much quicker than if you try to sell your home by yourself.

Do I need to use an estate agent if I'm selling my house to a relative?

You don't need to use an estate agent if you're selling your house to a relative or if you know someone who is seriously interested in buying your property.

Selling to a relative means the sale is likely to complete as they know your home and have familial ties. Because you won't need to market your property, you can even avoid paying fees.

However, we still recommend choosing a conveyancer to help complete the sale even with private house sales. The legal process can be complicated and a conveyancer can help with the workload.

While you can sell your property for any amount you wish, selling your property below market value to a family member might cause complications.

HMRC assesses the value of the property when selling rather than the price paid. If you sell a high value property below its market value, this could be viewed as an attempt to avoid taxes like Capital Gains, Stamp Duty and Inheritance.

Should I sell without an estate agent?

Whether you decide to appoint an estate agent or manage the sale on your own, the choice is yours.

However, if you're unsure about all the little details and laws regarding the home selling process, or you're worried about the security risk of hosting viewings with strangers, it’s likely a high street agent is the best option for you.

Summary: Leave it to the professionals

Marketing and selling a house is a tough job. There are lots of variables to keep track of, and there's only so much a full-time worker can handle on their own.

If you haven't got the property knowledge and sales experience to lead the progression of a house sale, our advice is simple: for a well-earned fee, a top estate agent can save you all the time and stress, and will most likely achieve a greater profit.

Compare local estate agents for free today and discover the top-performers in your area. It could make all the difference to your home sale.