Buying a house without an estate agent

[PostladyPatsCat]

I've been looking at property for MONTHS and just haven't managed to find the right house yet, largely because I'm looking to buy in a sought after area and property here sells within hours, generally for well over the asking price. I'm in a relatively good position for a buyer - after my divorce my children and I moved 'temporarily' in with my parents and we've been here ever since. I have a mortgage in principle and a hefty deposit from my previous house sale so I'm just waiting for the house now. The quicker the better.

I've recently been 'invited' by a friend of a friend, who is selling his late mothers house, to view the house before he puts it up for sale with an agent. If I like it, he'll happily sell it to me directly.

This is great news as I can escape the bidding frenzy that goes on in my area and having looked at pictures, I expect I probably will want to buy it.

That's where I become lost. I've bought and sold 3 houses before but always with an agent and I don't even know where to start the process without one.

Can anyone offer me any hints or tips? It'd be very much appreciated as currently my excitement at being able to view this house is marred by a slightly unjustified fear that I won't know what to do if I actually want to buy it!

Thanks in hopeful anticipation!

We recently bought our house through a friend of a friend so no estate agent. Other than dealing directly with the vendor regarding making an offer, there didn't seem to be any real difference. We appointed a solicitor who dealt with all the conveyancing and had an independent financial advisor deal with the mortgage. Had no problems at all. Probably easier as when there was a delay we could liaise directly with the vendor rather than relying on an estate agent as the middle man

It makes no difference to the buyer. The agent is there to look after the interests of the seller. You shouldn't as a buyer be relying on the agent in any event. Approach it as you would any other property for sale. If you're getting a mortgage you'll need it valued by a surveyor anyway.

An agent won't advise you what to offer.

It sounds like a nice arrangement, provided the sale doesn't go sour. I kind of haye the middle man EA arrangement, but it does mean when tensions are high there is someone to field frantic phone calls and questions. Good luck.

Make an offer on what you think it's worth.
Tell your mortgage company who I think will sort the surveyor out.
Instruct a solicitor.

Ive sold a house without an estate agent before and it was fine.

I've bought and sold houses with no agent before and it's a coddle. The only tricky bit is finding the house in the first place!

Doddle not coddle!

Thanks all. You've reassured me that it doesn't have to be any more complicated without an agent. Readingrainbow - that's one of my fears too. I'm glad it's a 'friend of a friend' rather than too close. At least I won't have to socialise with them if it goes tits up!

IF I make an offer, what do I do next? Obviously I'll advise my mortgage provider and solicitor but will they liaise directly with this chap?
I'm not usually this clueless - sorry!

Yes they will -

The estate agents just passes on any messages etc - your seller will have a solicitor so it mainly goes via them to each of you as clients

You'll understand it easier as you both have no chain - and the property is empty. So no annoying people involved

Go for it

We're buying a house direct from the vendor. It's been totally straightforward. We agreed a price and then passed on our solucitor's details. The vendor instructed a solicitor and the two solicitors got in contact. We sorted the mortgage and it's all proceeding as normal from that point. DH sends the vendor update texts when something happens (e.g. Mortgage agreed).

An EA just mediates the offers and acceptance and then passes details to the solicitors anyway, who then look after the process. The queries and contract negotiations go through the solicitors anyway.