Buying and selling a home can be a minefield of extra expenses. It seems like another fee is always lying in wait to catch you out. So if you're hoping to avoid paying through the nose when selling your house, we have some good news.
Related: Landlords selling up in THESE areas made a staggering 98 per cent gain on their properties!
Housesimple's free trial, which allows home movers to skip out on the agent commission, is due to be rolled out across the UK.
The new ‘free-of-charge’ service could save sellers over £3,000, but so far the Housesimple free trial has only been available in Yorkshire and the North West.
Traditionally, homeowners will be expected to pay between 1.5 to 3 per cent to an agent when moving. It sellers choose to use an online agent they will still have to pay a fixed fee. However, despite forgoing this fee Housesimple promises to continue offering the same service as it always has.
They promise to support homeowners through the whole selling process. This will include providing photos, floorplans, ads on Rightmove and Zoopla, a ‘for sale board’ and support with sale negotiations, all with no additional cost.
But surely there must be a catch?
Well apparently there isn’t. Housesimple insists on its website that instead of charging commission they will earn referral fees instead. These will be for recommending services such as mortgage and insurance advice.
If you use one of there partners they will earn a commission, but they point out that there is no obligation to do so. They promise to be upfront from the start if they are recommending one of their partners.
Some industry experts are sceptical about how such an initiative can last. ‘Who will they work hardest for, the people who pay them or the people whose properties they are supposed to be selling,’ buying agent Henry Pryor points out in This is Money.
But Housesimple is confident in its service. ‘We believe selling a property should be a great experience and that’s why we are making it simple, transparent and free,’ says Sam Mitchell, CEO at Housesimple.
‘This is a bold move but one that has been tested. Within just six months of trialling this offer we’ve increased our property listings five fold and are now one of the leading agents by listings in cities like Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester,' he adds
Related: We wish estate agents would tell us THIS before we buy our homes
Will you be trialling the new service?
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