Maximising Your Home's Value Selling Without An Estate Agent

Date Published:

27/05/2008

They couldn't wait to get you round to see "your" new house, but how do you maintain that level of enthusiasm- and up-front honesty- in the estate agent of the people you're buying from?

When you're looking round the property, ask how long it has been on the market- this will help you gauge how keen the vendors are to sell, and so what offer you could put in. Over time, an agent that you've primed and nurtured is more likely to give you a candid answer to your questions.

Keeping in (almost) constant contact, positioning yourself as the lynchpin, ensuring everyone knows their role and what is expected of them and when, is an effective way to keep everything ticking over.

Getting their estate agent on side means he's more likely to give you an honest answer when asked tricky questions. "NAEA members have to agree with the seller whether the property is still going to be marketed after an offer has been received, and communicate that to the buyer", says Peter Bolton King. "However, with the survey the phrase "caveat emptor", or buyer beware, applies: they have no obligation to tell you about any previous surveys, but if you ask them they can't lie." So if you've heard that a previous sale fell through, there's no harm in asking what the survey revealed. Getting these sorts of questions answered at an early stage could save you a great deal of time and money.

If all else fails, it's often more effective to get hold of your seller's phone number and deal with them directly on some of the nitty gritty. It should get things moving more quickly, will help your seller (and their agent) see you as serious about the move, and should galvanise even the laziest of agents into action.