has anyone ever sold their house themselves without an agent?

[bubblepop]

dh and me were talking about it earlier..just putting a board up and going for it! we've moved once before and this is our second home. is it possible do you think..or maybe too hassley,complicated? anyone else done this? hints and tips appreciated oh wise mumsnetters!!

We did - sort of.

We started off with an agent, then found a private buyer and dismissed the agents which was quite satisfying! Saved us thousands as well.

So we didn't have to do all the board and particulars as the buyer was a friend of a friend. As long as you get a good conveyancer/solicitor it can be really straightforward. Personally I wouldn't have done the conveyancing myself.

I would imagine as long as you are careful re personal info and safety it can be quite easily done without agents. Probably a lot of work though.

yep me. I did the conveyence myself apart from the money transfer for which we needed a solicitor. That bit cost about £150. It was straightforward. However...this was when the market was at its peak, we were not buying again, and it sold very easily. Saved us thousands in agents fees and solicitors costs. I do have quite a bit of knowledge in hte area so knew about land registry etc. I would not advocate buying a house withought a solicitor though. We got a really good book - a which guide to selling your own house was very useful - make sure you get an up to date one. depending on the market in your area it is very do-able.

There used to be a website specifically for doing this - easier.co.uk.
We looked at some properties on it, and having had an email not replied to, we turned up on the doorstep of one that we really wanted to view, only to find out that it wasn't on the market and they knew nothing about it!!

Best of luck if you do go for it, but risky in the current climate I would have thought.

You don't need an estate agent, they are glorified advertising agents. The solicitor does all the important bits and I would not recommend you do this on your own. There are searches to be done etc. Plus if down the line something crops up in the future, like a motorway through your house, surely the solicitor would be held accountable for this. But to sell a house, you need a board and an advert in the local paper and of course word of mouth. Yes estate agents can sell over a wider area, but I would try yourself first, it's worth a try.