The journey of moving and selling your house can be both an exciting and challenging journey. Whether you are relocating for a job, downsizing or pursuing a new chapter in your life – perhaps you are joining many of the expats who are moving abroad – the process involves a number of different decisions and considerations. Of course, it’s not always smooth sailing when you are moving and selling your house, especially if you make a mistake or two.

In this blog, we have taken a look at the top mistakes to avoid when you are moving and selling your home. There are a lot of common challenges and stressors involved with selling and moving, but this blog is sure to help you to avoid as many as possible.

High Street vs. Online Estate Agents: Understanding the Basics

Before you decide whether to choose a high street or online estate agent, you need to understand what each of them are. High street estate agents are the traditional professionals with physical offices in your local town or city. They manage everything from valuation to sale, including photos, listings, viewings and negotiations, even supporting you through to exchange and completion. Online estate agents are slightly different, as they operate primarily through websites and apps, offering digital tools for listing your property and connecting with potential buyers. They often charge fixed fees and rely more on you to manage parts of the process, like conducting viewings or responding to buyer queries.

Pros and Cons of High Street Estate Agents

Before you decide to work with a high street estate agent, weigh up the pros and cons of doing so.

Pros of Working with a High Street Estate Agent

• Local Expertise – High street agents understand the housing market in your area, including pricing trends and buyer behaviour. This insight is invaluable when setting the right asking price and marketing your home effectively.

• Personal Service – You’ll usually deal with one or two named agents throughout the selling process, who will guide you through the entire process, offering tailored advice and helping you resolve issues quickly.

• Property Viewings Managed for You – They host and manage all viewings, which is especially useful if you’ve already moved out or are travelling for international preparations. They’ll also help you to avoid making a costly mistake.

• Better for Unique or Premium Homes – If your property is unusual, high-value or harder to sell, traditional agents can tailor marketing strategies that reach the right buyers. They’ve seen first hand what works and what doesn’t.

• Experienced Negotiators – A skilled agent can secure higher offers and navigate tricky negotiations, ensuring you get the best pride for your property. This can offset their higher fees.

Cons of Working with a High Street Estate Agent

• Higher Fees – Most high street estate agents charge a commission, which is typically between 1% to 3% of the sale price, plus VAT. This can eat into your profits.

• Less Tech-Driven – Some agencies still use slower, outdated systems. If you’re expecting 24/7 updates and instant notifications, the process might feel old-fashioned and slow.

• Variable Quality – The service you get can depend heavily on the individual agent or office you choose to work with. Not all agencies are equally proactive or customer-focused.

Pros and Cons of Online Estate Agents

As is the case with traditional, high street estate agents, there are pros and cons to using an online service.

Pros of Working with an Online Estate Agent

• Lower Fees – Online agents typically charge a flat fee ranging, which can be a huge saving compared to traditional commissions.

• Flexible and Fast Setup – You can often get your home listed within a day or two, and everything can be managed from your phone or computer. This is ideal if you’re on the move or overseas.

• National Exposure – They’ll list your home on major property portals like Rightmove and Zoopla, just like traditional agents, ensuring your home gets maximum exposure.

• Optional Extras – Most online agents offer add-ons like hosted viewings, professional photography and EPC certificates, so you can customise the service to your needs.

• Transparent Progress Tracking – A lot of online estate agents have an online dashboard, enabling you to track viewings, offers and communications in real time.

Cons of Working with an Online Estate Agent

• Pay Upfront, Whether You Sell or Not – Most online agents require payment upfront or within a short window, even if your home doesn’t sell. This can leave you out of pocket.

• More DIY – You’ll often be responsible for conducting viewings, taking photos and handling buyer enquiries, which can be time-consuming and stressful if you’re also planning a big move abroad.

• Limited Local Insight – Without local branches, pricing advice and buyer insights can be more generic or automated, even leading to underpricing or overpricing.

• Less Accountability – If issues arise, it can be harder to get quick resolutions, as you don’t have a ‘go to’ agent to rely on.

Key Considerations When Selling Your Home and Moving Abroad

Selling a home before an international move comes with unique pressures. You’ll likely have tight deadlines, additional paperwork and possibly the need to sell your home even after you’ve already left the UK. Here are some things to think about before you choose the right estate agent for you.

How Soon Do You Need to Sell?

If you’re working with tight timelines, you might favour high street agents who can push harder to find a buyer and manage everything quickly. But, if you have flexible timelines, you might want to consider working with online agents, especially if you’re confident in managing viewings and negotiations yourself.

Do You Need Full Support?

If you’re handling visas, overseas schools or shipping logistics, you may not have time to manage your own home sale. A high street agent can take the pressure off, offering a full-service approach with fewer demands on your time.

What’s Your Budget?

Moving abroad is expensive and if your priority is cost-saving, an online agent can keep fees low. But, a traditional high street estate agent might get you a higher sale price, which could more than cover their fees.

Will You Be in the UK During the Sale?

If you’ve already relocated or are abroad part-time, hosted viewings and in-person negotiation support become vital, making high street agents a more practical choice.

Ready to Move Abroad? We’re Here to Help

At United International Removals, we don’t just move your boxes, we support your entire relocation journey. Once your property is on the market, we’ll help you coordinate the next phase with expert shipping, and international removals services. This gives you more time to focus on selling your home, knowing that our experts are taking care of the logistics of getting your things from A to B. Get in touch for a free quote.