Selling a home privately

[rickshaw]

Anybody well versed in selling their home privately rather than using an estate agent? I have always used an agent in the past but their fees can amount to quite a sum which comes straight off your profit from the sale. What are the pitfalls of going it alone....and is it worth the extra hassle?

[CheekyChops]

I don't know about selling but I bought my house privately off a friend.

We agreed a price, I got onto the building society who arranged the survey etc and I contacted a solicitor to do the conveyancing. My friend also contacted a solicitor, I gave his name and address to my B/Society and Solicitor and that was that.

There were no problems at all and it went through in about 6 weeks.

[spudqueen]

I negotiated the estate agents fee down quite a lot, by at least 1 per cent. Could be worth a try for you.

[buildersmate]

I think it rather depends how marketable your house is, and where it is. If it is in an area with lots of other houses for sale, your own little board erected in the front garden is going to be noticed. You will know that buyers tour around likely areas looking. Conversely if you are tucked away in a place where no-one is going to spot you, you are dependent on marketing your own house through local papers or websites and the costs will start to rack up - with no assurance of a sale. Worse if you have an unusual or house with special features.

Negotiating for a better deal is very possible in a lively market, as the above says. I have done it. Giving you percentage figures would be meaningless because it depends on price and area as it what you can negotiate down to. Play one agent off against another to get the best deal. They hate it, but then who loves an estate agent?