0:01 AM, 30th October 2025, About 3 months ago 7
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My final rental is now vacant and will be ready to go on the market in a couple of weeks. I do have an estate agent lined up, but I’m wondering whether to try an auction. Its a small detached bungalow in Runcorn, Cheshire.
Could I ask for people’s experience of selling at auction?
I’m aware I would need a legal pack, set a minimum price and obviously pay the auction house fees/commission.
What are the pros and cons?
Many Thanks
Ann
Hi Ann
You’re absolutely right that a legal pack and reserve price are key steps if you decide to sell at auction, but before committing, it’s worth weighing how your particular property type performs in that environment.
Bungalows, especially detached ones, tend to attract strong interest from private buyers rather than investors. That can often make a traditional estate-agency sale the better route, because owner-occupiers are more likely to stretch on price and less influenced by yield or renovation margins.
Auctions tend to work best for properties that need work, have title or tenancy complications, or where a quick, unconditional sale is more valuable than achieving top price. If your bungalow is in good condition, chain-free and ready to move into, an open-market sale usually gives you a broader audience and a better chance of securing a premium.
That said, modern online auctions have improved considerably. They can still deliver speed and certainty if you set the reserve sensibly, and the marketing exposure is strong. The key is to compare both methods side by side:
If you’d like, you can post a few more details in the comments section of the article, such as condition, guide price and whether it’s freehold or leasehold and I’m sure other readers will share first-hand auction experiences in similar areas.
From what you’ve described, a small detached bungalow in Runcorn could well attract strong private-buyer interest, so we would be inclined to test the open market first unless speed of sale is your priority.
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Jill Church
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Member Since February 2024 - Comments: 59
10:24 AM, 30th October 2025, About 3 months ago
Local Estate agents have probably got a waiting list for bungalows especially if they are in right area of town. Try them first, they should know if it’ll sell easily.
Annie Landlord
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Member Since April 2014 - Comments: 460 - Articles: 1
11:25 AM, 30th October 2025, About 3 months ago
Reply to the comment left by Jill Church at 30/10/2025 – 10:24
Thanks. The agents are telling me the market is ‘buoyant’ but Runcorn is a depressed area. I just thought I would sound out the auction route for a back up if needed
David Coughlin - Landlord Sales Agency
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Member Since June 2020 - Comments: 21 - Articles: 156
12:51 PM, 30th October 2025, About 3 months ago
Hi Ann,
You’re absolutely right to compare both routes before deciding.
If your bungalow is in good condition and you’re not in a rush, a good local agent will usually achieve the highest price — especially as detached bungalows tend to attract owner-occupiers rather than investors.
Traditional auctions can be great for speed and certainty, but the trade-off is usually price. In most cases, they achieve around 75–80% of what an estate agent might achieve, because buyers are limited to those able to pay deposits, complete unconditionally, and are often looking for a deal.
Our approach is a bit more flexible. To achieve both the best price and a certain sale, we often partner with the top-performing local agent and market the property to both their private buyers and our nationwide database of cash and auction buyers. That combination often achieves around 85–90% of full value, while keeping the same speed and certainty of an auction sale.
If the local agent we partner with finds a buyer at the price you need, great — their buyer still pays a deposit and follows our fast completion terms, which helps avoid long chains and fall-throughs.
Happy to chat through options or share a few examples if it helps.
David Coughlin
National Residential
Annie Landlord
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15:28 PM, 30th October 2025, About 3 months ago
Reply to the comment left by David Coughlin – Landlord Sales Agency at 30/10/2025 – 12:51
Thanks for the information David. Do you accept the estate agents’ valuations or do you require a survey or something else?
Judith Wordsworth
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Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 1371
15:37 PM, 30th October 2025, About 3 months ago
Might go for more than an Estate Agents listed price.
Small properties tend to, as bidders get easily carried away, and larger properties tend to go for less as really only of interest to developers or those with very large families.
Based on auction experience.
Annie Landlord
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Member Since April 2014 - Comments: 460 - Articles: 1
15:53 PM, 30th October 2025, About 3 months ago
Interesting point. I’ve always rented it to older or disabled tenants. Hoping maybe someone like that might be downsizing! Though not the typical people using auctions to buy I guess
allen lagnado
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Member Since October 2014 - Comments: 8
13:44 PM, 5th November 2025, About 2 months ago
MRKET DEAD MY HOUSE WAS 2MILLION BEFORE THIEVES ON SALE 185 MILL NOTHING REDUCED 165 MIL ESTATE AGENT SAY TRY 1.5 MIL DONT KNOW IF AUCTION CAN ACHIEVE THAT HAVE 2 HMOS ALSO WERE 1 MILL BEFORE NOW THINK 750 THOUSAND