[Important SellingUp information: Housesimple is now called Strike and its property selling service is now 100% FREE. That means with Strike you can sell your property with no estate agent’s fees. For fully updated information on this opportunity to sell your home without paying a estate agent please visit the Strike website.]
The way homeowners sell their property has changed drastically over the last five years. The first port of call is no longer necessarily a high street agent, but often an online service – and there are many to choose from.
One that stands out on this increasingly crowded landscape is Purplebricks, thanks largely to its enormous advertising budget reassuring sellers that it takes the ‘commisery’ (the pain from paying high estate agent commissions) out of property sales.
However, Purplebricks has come under fire in recent times for its use of the term ‘fixed fee’. Its website and promotional materials claim you can sell your property for £899. What’s not always clear, however, is that not only is this fee payable regardless of whether Purplebricks successfully sells your property. Also, in London and surrounding postcodes, this figure can rocket to as high as £1,399.
This ‘fixed fee’ covers all the basics you’d expect from an online property agent. You’ll get a dedicated local property expert, professional photography and floor plans, and a listing on the main sales channels, including Rightmove, Zoopla and others. Accompanied viewings, however, cost extra – £300 outside of London and £399 inside the city.
It’s no secret, of course, that the property market in London is under strain. High demand leads to high prices, and despite ongoing political and economic uncertainty, the housing situation in the capital is unlikely to change any time soon. However, the process of selling a house is largely the same whether it’s in London or Leicester, so it seems unjust to some that sellers in the capital face additional charges simply because agents are well-placed to benefit from them.
Additionally, homeowners in London must already shoulder the additional expense of living in the city, where everything – not just property – is more costly than the rest of the country. And the figures are significant. According to data from research website Expatisan, the day-to-day business of living in London is 28% more expensive than Reading, 35% more expensive than Manchester, and 45% more expensive than Sheffield – that’s a considerable difference.
But while Purplebricks charges a premium for those selling in the capital, there are online estate agents that don’t charge any additional fees for London-based sales – their prices are the same regardless of where in the country you’re selling. One company that goes even better than no sale no fee is Strike (formerly Housesimple). With Strike there is no fee at all, even when you sell your property.
Strike offers to market your property on sites like Rightmove and provide various estate agency services without any fee at all.
How is this possible? Strike aims to make its money by connecting you to paid services like mortgage brokers and take a referral fee.
Unlike agents such as Purplebricks, there are no hidden costs. The agent will sell your property for free, as long as you are in an area covered by the service. To find out if it offers its free online estate agent service in your area visit the Strike website.
Included in the fee is access to a personal property hub, professional photos and floor plans, negotiation services and, of course, adverts on portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla. Strike also offers a number of optional services, including EPC reports, mortgage broking and conveyancing. These services will cost you (e.g. hosted property viewings costs £699 – but they are totally optional).
Online estate agents are increasing in popularity because traditional property-selling models were expensive and time-consuming. With so many options available, however, it can be difficult to know where to begin choosing one that’s right for you. However, property sellers in London can easily narrow down their choices by opting for an agent that doesn’t discriminate against the property’s postcode.
Choosing an agent such as Strike – which doesn’t charge a ‘London seller’s tax’ – can help keep costs down while providing the same level of expertise you’d expect from online agents elsewhere in the country, where the focus is on customer service, and not charging more to sellers in an already pressurised market.
[Important SellingUp information: Housesimple is now called Strike and its property selling service is now 100% FREE. That means with Strike you can sell your property with no estate agent’s fees. For fully updated information on this opportunity to sell your home without paying a estate agent please visit the Strike website.]