How to sell a house without an estate agent

Yes, you can sell a house in England or Wales without an estate agent. GOV.UK says you can sell your home yourself or use an agent, and there are four main ways to do it without a traditional high street agent: sell privately, use an online or hybrid agent, sell at auction, or sell to a cash buyer. Each one swaps some or all of the agent's fee for more work, more risk or a lower price, so it's worth knowing exactly what you'd be taking on.

This guide covers England and Wales. The rules are different in Scotland.

Your options at a glance

Route	What you pay	What you do yourself	Best for
Private sale	No agent fee: just legal costs, an EPC and any advertising	Everything: pricing, marketing, viewings, offers and chasing the sale	Sellers with a buyer lined up, or with time and confidence
Online or hybrid agent	A fee, often fixed (check whether it's due even if you don't sell)	Usually the viewings, sometimes more	Homes that will sell easily, where you're happy to show people round
Auction	The auctioneer's fees and the legal pack	Little once the auctioneer is instructed	Homes that need work, or when you want a fixed timetable
Cash house buyer	Depends on the buyer: some pay your legal fees	Very little	Speed and certainty, in return for a price below market value
Someone you know	Legal costs	Agreeing a fair price	Family sales, tenants or neighbours who want to buy

What does an estate agent actually do?

If you sell without an agent, these jobs become yours:

• Pricing the home, using sold prices and local knowledge
• Getting the EPC, photos, floorplan and description ready
• Advertising the home where buyers will see it
• Showing people round and following up afterwards
• Handling offers and checking whether each buyer can actually afford to buy
• Agreeing the sale and sending the details to both solicitors
• Chasing the sale through to exchange and completion, including the rest of the chain

Agents also have to run money laundering checks, pass on every offer until contracts are exchanged, and disclose material information about the home. Those agent rules don't bind you in the same way, but the buyer's solicitor will still ask you detailed questions, and your answers must be honest.

Step by step: selling your house privately

1. Work out a realistic price

Look up what similar homes nearby have actually sold for using HM Land Registry's sold price search, which covers England and Wales. Asking prices on property websites tell you what sellers hope for, not what buyers paid. You can also ask two or three agents for a free valuation without committing to them. Our guide on how to get a house valuation explains how to read them.

2. Get an Energy Performance Certificate

You must order an EPC before you market your home, and show it to potential buyers. It lasts 10 years, so check the energy certificate register first, as you may already have a valid one. A new one must come from an accredited assessor.

3. Gather your paperwork

GOV.UK suggests having your documents ready before you go on the market, including your title deeds, tenure details (freehold or leasehold), planning and building regulations certificates, window certificates, warranties for work done, electrical checks and any party wall agreements. You'll also need to prove your identity to your solicitor. See documents needed to sell a house.

4. Choose a solicitor or conveyancer early

GOV.UK says you can do your own conveyancing, but most sellers use a solicitor, licensed conveyancer or CILEX lawyer. Instructing one before you find a buyer can save weeks, because they can get your title and forms ready. You'll usually fill in the Property Information Form (TA6) and a fittings and contents form.

5. Describe the home honestly

Write a clear description with accurate room sizes, the tenure, parking, garden and anything a buyer would want to know, such as a short lease, service charges or past flooding. Estate agents are legally required to disclose this kind of material information. As a private seller, you can still face a misrepresentation claim if you give a buyer false information that they rely on.

6. Advertise

Without an agent, your options include a "for sale" board, local social media groups, community noticeboards and word of mouth. If you want your home on the big property websites, check whether they accept private listings. Many sellers use an online agent to get there.

7. Show people round safely

Arrange viewings when someone else is at home, take each viewer's full name and phone number first, and keep valuables and personal documents out of sight.

8. Handle offers and check the buyer

Ask every buyer how they're paying. Do they need to sell a home first, how long is their chain, and do they have a mortgage agreement in principle? Ask a cash buyer for proof of funds. Get offers in writing. An offer isn't legally binding in England and Wales until contracts are exchanged.

9. Agree the sale and keep it moving

Send both solicitors the agreed price, everyone's contact details and anything agreed about fixtures or dates. Then keep in touch with the buyer and their solicitor every week or so. Without an agent, chasing the sale is your job.

Online and hybrid agents: what to check

Online and hybrid agents advertise your home for a fee, often a fixed one, and you usually do the viewings. They're still estate agents, bound by the same laws, so they must give you their terms and fees in writing before you commit and pass on every offer.

Before you sign, check:

• When the fee is due: up front, on completion, or whether you pay it even if your home doesn't sell
• What's included: photos, floorplan, viewings, negotiating and progressing the sale
• The contract type: with "sole agency", you don't pay that agent if you find the buyer yourself. With "sole selling rights", you can owe the fee even if you do.
• How long you're tied in, and any fee for ending the contract early
• Your right to cancel: if you sign at home or online, you normally have 14 days to cancel
• Their redress scheme, such as The Property Ombudsman, in case something goes wrong

Selling to a cash house buyer

A cash house buyer buys your home directly, so there's no agent, no public viewings and no chain. The trade-off is the price: cash buyers, including us, usually pay below market value.

We make an offer within 24 hours, pay your legal fees, charge no fees or commission and let you choose the completion date, from as little as 7 days to a later date that suits you. Our offer is below market value, and we explain how we worked it out from recent sales nearby. There's no obligation to accept. Before you accept any cash offer, read how to check a cash house buyer.

How much could you save?

Estate agent fees are usually a percentage of the sale price or a fixed fee, with VAT at 20% on top. As an example, on a £250,000 sale an agent charging 1% plus VAT would cost £3,000. Selling privately saves that, but you'll still pay for conveyancing, the EPC and any advertising. Our estate agent fee calculator works out your own figure.

The saving only counts if you sell for a similar price. If thinner marketing or weaker negotiating costs you more than the fee, you're worse off.

The risks of selling without an agent

• Pricing mistakes. Too high and the home sits unsold; too low and you lose money you'll never see.
• Fewer buyers see it if you can't get onto the main property websites.
• Unchecked buyers. Sales fall through when buyers can't get a mortgage or sell their own home.
• Your time. Viewings, calls and chasing solicitors can take hours each week.
• Safety when strangers visit your home.
• Negotiating your own home. It's hard to stay calm and firm when it's personal.

Who should sell without an agent?

Selling privately works best when you already have a likely buyer, such as a tenant, neighbour or relative, or when your home is in a popular area and you're confident dealing with people and paperwork.

If your home is in good condition and you want the highest price, a good estate agent often earns their fee by reaching more buyers and keeping the sale together. If speed and certainty matter more than price, auction or a cash sale may suit you better. Our guide to selling your house fast compares the quick routes.