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| Would you be happy to sell your house on the internet? |
| by: Edward Bennett |
| It is one thing to flog a Dukes Of Hazard ashtray, a used pink bathrobe , or a Pac Man Fever lunchbox. But how many of us are bold enough to sell our houses on the World Wide Web? Plenty, according to a survey by first4sale.com, an innovative online property website. Research by YouGov, which questioned over 2 thousand UK citizens, observed that 70 per cent are comfortable selling their most valuable item - their home - over the net. The comparatively new idea of SIY - Sell it Yourself - could save four billion pounds in needless estate agency commission, reasons first4sale. \"It reflects consumer confidence in the internet,\" says Mark Fisher, First4sales.com chief executive. \"The net has over ten million users in this country. Sell it Yourself has evolved quickly from dealing in smaller, low-valued possessions. More than 190,000 cars are sold on the Internet each year, and houses are now the latest big-ticket item to sell yourself.\" You can see why. By selling on the Internet, you avoid the agent\'s fees, typically 1·5 to 2 percent of the selling price. Fisher points out that on a three hundred thousand pound house, , the owner could save more than five thousand pounds. But does it work? Two months ago, Richard Batten, a computer company director from Finchley, north London, put a deceased relatives property in Golders Green on the market for £599,000 with first4sale. \"I don\'t trust agents,\" says Mr Battern, \"and as I was not under pressure to sell quickly, I thought I\'d give it a go.\" Within two weeks, Mr Battern had 17 inquiries - most from the For Sale board and not the net, he adds - and an offer from a family in Hampstead that is going through at just below the asking price. He has had a survey done and Mr Battern hopes to exchange shortly. \"I do not see the added value from an agent, and this way you deal directly with the buyer.\" Now he is selling his own house, shared with his partner and their 12-year-old daughter. Now he has two potential buyers who did turn up both put in offers. \"Altogether, I will save £22,000 on agents\' fees,\" he said. |
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