Auction House, Norwich

Testimonials from Sellers

• Seller Testimonial

  Smooth sailing

  When the vendor of the house on Bull Close Road achieved a successful sale through Auction House she was able to book herself on a cruise and look for her next home. She had bought the two-bedroom, mid-terrace property in Norwich some three years before but was keen to move on to somewhere different. "I originally bought it as an investment but then lived there myself for a while," she explains. "It was a nice house, which was in a very convenient situation, close to the city centre, and had been well looked after. "But the stairs were very steep and my children were keen for me to move somewhere that was all on one level. It also only had a courtyard garden, which was not ideal for my dog, and I wanted to be somewhere a little quieter." Having made the decision to look for a ground floor apartment, she began to consider her options. "I put it on the market with Wymondham-based estate agents Money Properties, who often work with Auction House if they feel a house is suitable," she recalls. "I was quite happy to go down that path as I had bought the house at auction in the first place and knew the process was likely to be quick and would give me a definite sale." The house was given a guide price of £130,000 to £135,000 but a sale was agreed prior to auction at £128,000. "It sold more or less straightaway to an investor who wanted to expand his portfolio. I decided to accept the slightly lower price before the auction even started because I just wanted to get on with my life." Furthermore, she explains, those selling via online auction through Auction House have no fees to pay - these are covered by the purchaser. "The whole service was extremely professional," she continues. "Once the sale had been agreed, Auction House was very good at ensuring everything was pushed through as fast as possible and that I was kept informed. "They communicated with me by email and text so I knew exactly what was going on at every stage. They were very efficient but also friendly." The money came through quickly as promised and the vendor was able to follow her plans. "I booked a cruise to Norway and started looking for my new home," she says. And she adds: "I would certainly sell through Auction House again if I needed to but to be honest my hope is to settle in my new home and stay there for a nice long time!"

• Seller Testimonial

  Modern thinking

  Online auction is very much a 21st century solution for selling property, according to IT and software specialist Chris. Chris, who successfully sold a two-bedroom property in Watton, Norfolk, through Auction House, suggests it will only grow in popularity. "We will obviously see more members of the younger generation buying houses as time goes by and these are people who have grown up with eBay and other similar websites," he says. "They are very used to new technology and so buying property online will eventually become second nature to them." With busy lives and a new baby, Chris and his wife wanted a speedy sale for their second home - and Auction House seemed to offer a solution. The two-storey, mid-terrace house at Watton was a former RAF property, believed to be about 60 years old. It was in good condition, with an extended living area, which offered space for dining. It also came with a generous rear garden and off-road parking. "We had owned the property for about eight years - it had been my wife's home initially and then we decided to let it to tenants," he explains. "We certainly could have sold it in the usual way, through an estate agent but we wanted to sell it quickly. We had lots going on in our lives, especially with the baby, and decided we wanted everything to be less complicated." Chris contacted Auction House who visited the house and took photographs. The house was valued at £105,000 and was up on the Auction House website within just a few days of his initial phone call. "Auction House held open days for people to look at the house," he says. "There was interest and then we had an offer for the full asking price after the auction had closed. From then on, it continued to be a very quick and clean process, with Auction House overseeing everything to ensure it all went smoothly." Chris believes the auction process could suit owners of all kinds of property. "This is something I would definitely consider doing again," he admits. "In fact, I would be more than happy to sell my current house through Auction House because of this experience."

Testimonials from Buyers