Sellers FAQ's

General

Can I sell my house myself?
Yes absolutely. You do not have to use an estate agent. Selling your own property does not have to be complicated and can save you a lot of time and money.

I have already instructed an estate agent, can I still sell myself?
Yes. But make sure you understand the agreement that you have with the agent; you may still be liable to pay his commission even if you find a buyer yourself. You can read a very good explanation of the type of agreements that Estate Agents use and how they affect you on the Which?.net website. It is a good idea to let the agent know that you are advertising your property yourself. Look at our Sellers Guide for more information.

Is Behoused acting as my estate agent?
No. We are acting as an advertising agent for your property - just as if we are a newspaper publisher and you are placing an advert in the 'for sale' pages.

How much will it cost to advertise my property on Behoused.co.uk?
It costs just £99 including VAT to advertise your property on behoused.co.uk regardless of the value or asking price.

How long will my details be available on the site?
Until you sell or the property is taken off the site for another reason.

Submitting Your Property

How do I submit my property details?
Go to the Sellers page on the site and click on the link to register and enter the information.

How do I fill in the form?
There is a guide available and help is also at hand during the registration process by clicking on the links where data needs to be entered.

I don't have a digital camera.
Ask around your friends, some of them or their children may have a digital camera and will take photos for you. Images can be uploaded from any computer with an Internet connection; you just need your Behoused login details. Ordinary prints can be scanned and converted into a digital format that can be used. If you do not have the facilities to do this we will be happy to do it for a small charge. Jessops also offer a service of printing regular film to a CD in digital format. They charged £1 per scanned print or £10 for converting 15 negatives (+50p for extra above that) when we last checked. Lloyds chemist will also print images to a CD for a small fee when you have a regular film developed conventionally.

What size do the images have to be?
Ideally images should be 400 pixels wide by 300 pixels high. But any size can be submitted because we have software that will automatically resize to 400 pixels wide whilst maintaining the proportionate height. We will then generate the thumbnail from the larger image. For best results, ensure that your images are in 'Landscape' view.

How do I make sure the images are the correct size?
If you do not have the software to resize your images to the correct size indicated on the submission form just upload the images as per the instructions and our software will automatically resize and optimise.

How many images can I send?
You can upload as many images as there are features that you are putting in your description plus the main image.

My images will not upload.
There is a limit to the file size that will be accepted. If you have software that will reduce the file size of your images, then use this. Otherwise you may have to take a new digital photograph at a lower resolution setting.

How do I pay?
You can either pay on the website over our secure HSBC payment gateway using most credit or debit cards; fax or phone us your card details or by sending a cheque. If you fax or phone us your card details we need the following information: Card type (MasterCard, Visa, Switch or Solo), Account number; Name and initials exactly as they appear on the card: 'Valid from' and 'Expires end' dates and the Card's Issue Number where present (for Switch & Solo only). Any faxed orders must contain the cardholder's signature. Cheques should be made payable to Behoused Limited and sent to Behoused, Accounts Department, Southville Lawn, 28 Brunswick Square, Gloucester, GL1 1UN. When we have processed your payment a receipt will be issued by email or post to the contact address you have used on the registration form.

Property Details

What contact details should I supply for prospective buyers?
That is up to you. You can list your phone number at home, work or your mobile, or an email address. Whichever you choose please ensure that you are available and able to respond.

I don't know what to put in my property description.
Enter as much or as little as you like, as long as it is accurate. Look at some other entries and see what other people write or find an estate agent's description of a property similar to yours and use this as a guide. Download and fill in the 'Property Details Form' first so that you have all of your information complete and ready to hand.

How do I put a value on my property?
Compare your property to others in your area; at what price are they advertised? Adjust your price accordingly. You could employ a surveyor to give you a value or most estate agents provide a free valuation service. Ultimately your property is only worth what somebody is willing to pay.

What about selling the carpets, curtains or any furniture?
We recommend that you include the cost of carpets, or anything else you intend to leave behind, within your asking price, though it's a good idea to mention this somewhere in your details. Fitted kitchens, built-in wardrobes and fitted bathroom furniture are normally included, but again make mention of the fact to avoid any uncertainty or misunderstandings.

Managing Your Details

How can I change my property details?
Log in using your email address and the password you chose when you registered, this will allow you access to your property details so that you can make the changes required.

How do I delete my details?
Log in using your user name and password and press the delete button.

My password does not work.
Passwords and user names are case sensitive. Make sure you have typed them correctly. If that still fails click on the 'Forgot Password' button at the log in prompt, fill in the form, press send and you will receive an e-mail with the relevant information. Please note that this will be sent to the e-mail address you used when registering.

I submitted my property information but it is not listed on the website.
This could be for a number of reasons, the main one being that listing will not take place until the fees have been paid. If you have paid by cheque, receipt might have been held up in the post. Please e-mail us to verify the situation.

For Sale Boards

Do I need a 'For Sale' board?
No, you don't need one but we strongly recommend that you have one. This way anybody who passes your house that is looking to buy a property will be alerted that your property is on the market and he will know where he can find the details. People that were not previously looking to move house may even be prompted to consider buying your property simply because they can see that your house is for sale. Advertisers on Behoused will receive a For-Sale board as a matter of course once payment has cleared.

How do I display the board?
This depends on where you are going to display it. For a ground fixing you need to get a 2 inch x 2 inch post from your local DIY shop - they also generally sell spikes, which are very useful for ensuring a firm fitting in the ground - please be careful about any underground obstructions. Alternatively, use cable ties to fix your post to an existing fence post or railings. To fix the board to the side of a building you'll need to use appropriate screws and rawlplugs - again be careful where you fix this. In both cases the board itself should then be attached to the post  or wall using appropriate sized nuts & bolts or large headed screws and/or cup-washers. You will also be supplied with two 'Sold' labels and some plastic bolts and wing-nuts to attach them to your 'For Sale' board. Once you have exchanged contracts, attach the Sold labels on both sides of your board so that they obscure your property ID. Please read the Sellers Guide for more information about boards. You can also download a guide that will show you how to erect the board.

I am selling a first floor flat, where do I use a board?
You can display it in a prominent window if there is nowhere that you can fix the board externally.

Legal

Who looks after the legal side and conveyancing?
It is up to you to appoint a solicitor or conveyancer, as you would do if you were selling through an estate agent. He/she will also take care of any property that you are buying.

Buyers FAQ's

I've seen a house on the website that I am interested in, what do I do next?
Contact the vendor via the phone number(s) or e-mail on the property's page to arrange a viewing.

Will the vendor accept less than the price displayed on the website?
That is entirely up to the vendor. Behoused is not an Estate Agent and we do not give advice regarding house prices. The vendor may be prepared to negotiate on price, but you should not automatically expect him to.

I've sold my house through an Estate Agent, will this make a difference?
None. If you have agreed to buy a house that you have found on Behoused, just tell your Estate Agent that you are dealing with a private sale.

Who looks after the legal side and conveyancing?
It is up to you to appoint a solicitor or conveyancer as you would do if you were selling through an estate agent. He/she will also take care of any property that you are selling.

What about arranging my mortgage?
There are lots of mortgage products on the market, which are constantly changing. At the moment we are unable to offer any advice. We recommend using an independent financial advisor who can advise you on the mortgage that suits your circumstances the best.

I have not heard from the seller.
Use the feedback form on the Contact Us page to let us know and we will investigate the problem.