How to Sell Your House Online in the UK: A 2026 Guide

Selling a house used to mean one thing: a sign in the garden and a listing in a high-street agent’s window.

Today? The internet has opened up a world of possibilities, putting more control directly into your hands.

But here’s the thing.

With more options comes more confusion. And when you’re dealing with what’s likely your most valuable asset, confusion isn’t exactly welcome.

This guide breaks down the three main ways to sell your house online in the UK: using an online estate agent, listing on eBay (yes, really), and selling directly to a cash house buyer. Each path offers different benefits and drawbacks. We’ll walk you through the process, costs, and realistic outcomes for each, helping you decide which route aligns with your personal circumstances.

Let’s dive in.

At a Glance: Comparing Your Online Selling Options

Before we go deeper, here’s a quick side-by-side comparison of the three methods:

Now let’s look at each option in detail.

The Modern Method: Using an Online Estate Agent

Online estate agents have been shaking up the property market for the past decade.

But what exactly are they?

Think of them as the digital-first cousins of traditional estate agents. They’ll list your property on major portals like Rightmove and Zoopla for a fixed fee, which you often pay upfront. Compare that to the traditional commission-based model where agents take a percentage of your sale price, and you can see the appeal.

How the Process Actually Works

First up: valuation.

Most online agents start with an instant online estimate. Type in your postcode, answer a few questions about your property, and voilà – you’ve got a ballpark figure. Some will follow this up with a visit from a “local property expert” to fine-tune the valuation.

Next: choosing your package.

This is where things get interesting. Online agents offer everything from bare-bones listings (think: basic photos and a description) to premium packages with professional photography, floor plans, and even hosted viewings. Prices reflect this range – from as little as £99 to over £2,000.

Then comes the listing and viewings.

Once you’ve picked your package, the agent creates your listing and gets it live on the property portals. Here’s the catch though: with most online agents, you’re responsible for conducting viewings. That means taking time off work, keeping the house spotless, and playing estate agent yourself.

Finally: offers and completion.

When offers start rolling in (fingers crossed), your online agent handles the negotiation and helps progress the sale. But – and this is crucial – you’re still subject to the open market. That means chains, buyer mortgages, and all the usual property sale headaches.

The Numbers You Need to Know

Let’s talk facts and figures.

According to Zoopla’s market analysis, the complete journey from first listing to completion typically takes around 185 days – roughly six months. The government’s own guide confirms that selling a home takes about five months on average, and longer if you’re part of a chain.

And remember those upfront fees? They’re non-refundable. Your house doesn’t sell? Tough luck – you’re still out of pocket.

From what we see as cash buyers, that six-month average actually understates the reality for many sellers. The figure includes quick sales that complete in weeks, which skews it downward. For properties in a chain, or in areas with slower markets, we regularly meet sellers who have been listed for six months or more. Common culprits include an incorrect initial valuation, a dip in the local market, or simply going with an agent slightly out of area who doesn’t know the patch well enough – and has tied you in for several months. 

Poor conveyancing is another factor we see time and again. One seller who came to us had actually found a buyer, but their solicitor took ten months to progress the sale. The buyer’s patience ran out and they walked away. With Property Rescue, we can provide an independent panel solicitor who can complete within 28 days.

The Good, The Bad, and The Reality

The advantages are clear:

Lower fixed fees can save you thousands compared to traditional agents. You get more control over the process, from scheduling viewings to accepting offers. Many online agents use slick dashboards where you can track everything in real-time. And your property gets the same exposure on Rightmove and Zoopla as any high-street agent would provide.

But there are significant downsides:

That upfront payment is a gamble. You pay whether your house sells or not. You’ll be doing much of the legwork yourself – viewings, questions, chasing solicitors. Online valuations can be wildly inaccurate without proper local knowledge. And here’s the kicker: you’re still stuck in the traditional property chain, at the mercy of buyer finances and other sales falling through.

The Wild West? Selling Your House on eBay

Right, let’s address the elephant in the room.

Can you actually sell your house on eBay?

Technically, yes. But it’s not what you think.

Here’s How It Really Works

eBay property listings aren’t like buying a vintage lamp or designer handbag. According to eBay’s own property policy, winning an eBay auction for a house isn’t legally binding in the UK. eBay states clearly: “eBay property listings are not legally binding offers to buy and sell that property. Instead, they are simply a way for sellers to advertise their property and meet potential buyers.”

Think of it as a very public, very visible classified ad with auction-style drama thrown in.

You create a listing with photos, a description, and set a starting price. Interested parties bid. The highest bidder “wins.” Then the real work begins – solicitors, surveys, mortgage applications, the lot. For a clear overview of the official steps involved in any property sale, the government’s guide to selling a home is a useful resource.

The Cold, Hard Truth

Since October 2024, eBay UK has removed selling fees for private sellers across most categories, with insertion fees specifically waived for property listings. That means listing your home on eBay is currently free – no listing fee and no final value fee.

Sounds like a bargain, right?

But here’s what that low cost of entry doesn’t account for: there’s no guarantee whatsoever. Your “winning” bidder can simply walk away. No penalties. No consequences. Just wasted time and dashed hopes.

The platform simply isn’t designed for property sales. It’s built for products that can be posted, not properties that need complex legal transfers.

Why Some People Still Try It

The appeal is obvious. eBay gets millions of visitors daily. The auction format can, in theory, create a bidding war. You have complete control over your listing. And the fact that it’s now free to list makes the barrier to entry lower than ever.

But the reality?

You’ll attract time-wasters by the dozen. People bid for fun, out of curiosity, or without any real intention to buy. The platform offers zero protection for property sellers. And you’ll still need to pay for solicitors to handle the actual sale – if it ever gets that far.

The Fast-Track Sale: Selling to a Cash House Buyer

Now we’re talking about something completely different.

A cash house buyer – like us at Property Rescue – uses our own funds to buy your property directly. No estate agents. No chains. No waiting for mortgage approvals.

Just a straightforward purchase.

Over the past three years, we’ve completed more than 500 property purchases across the UK, with an average completion time of 28 days from offer acceptance. From inherited homes to chain-break emergencies, we’ve developed a process that puts you in control.

How Our Process Works

Step 1: Get an offer Fill in our simple online form. Takes about 60 seconds.

Step 2: Receive your cash offer We provide a free, no-obligation offer within 24 hours, based on current market data and property information. No pressure, no obligation.

Step 3: Sale agreed Happy with the offer? We instruct independent solicitors and cover their fees. 

Step 4: Completion Here’s where it gets interesting. Contracts can be issued and exchanged within seven days of accepting the offer. We can complete in as little as four weeks – compared to the typical three to six months with an average conveyancing solicitor. Need to stay for a few months while you sort your next move? No problem – we work to your timeline.

What makes this speed possible?

As cash buyers, we pre-approve funds before making an offer, so there’s no delay once you accept. We also provide a panel solicitor who is accustomed to working at Property Rescue’s pace and efficiency. Once you say yes, there’s no waiting around for slow conveyancing, no buyers pulling out, and no lenders changing their criteria at the last minute.

Why Choose This Route?

Let me paint you a picture.

The average open market sale takes around six months .We can complete in as little as seven days.

28.8% of property sales fell through before completion in 2024. Chains collapse. Mortgages get rejected. Buyers get cold feet after a bad survey. Our cash offer? It’s guaranteed.

No viewings disrupting your weekends. No frantic cleaning before strangers traipse through your home. No fixing that dodgy boiler or repainting the spare room. We buy your property as is.

And those hidden costs that creep up during a traditional sale? Forget them. We pay your legal fees. No estate agent commissions. No valuation fees.

The feedback we hear most often from sellers is that they wish they’d come to us sooner, rather than spending months on the open market or money on an estate agent before discovering that cash buying was even an option. 

Many tell us the biggest relief was knowing the sale wouldn’t fall through and having a clear completion date they could plan around. 

We also hear regularly about how much our approach means to sellers in difficult circumstances. For homeowners facing repossession, for example, the situation is particularly sensitive – they may not be ready to leave within 28 days. In those cases, we step in to stop the repossession proceedings, and help them find their onward move before completion, giving them breathing room at a time when they need it most.

Real Stories From Sellers We’ve Helped

We recently helped a couple in the North West who’d had two buyers pull out in the space of four months – once because of a failed mortgage application, and once because the buyer’s own chain collapsed. By the time they came to us, they were just seven days from losing their onward purchase. Their solicitor had already warned them that the seller of their new home was about to re-list. We made an offer that was accepted the same day, exchanged within seven days – which satisfied the chain – and completed in 28 days. They moved into their new home on schedule. That’s the kind of certainty the open market simply can’t provide.

Landlords exiting the rental market are another group we work with frequently. A typical scenario involves a landlord who wants to sell but has been told by agents that they’ll need to wait until the tenancy ends – which could be months away. We purchase properties with tenants still in place, often completing within a few weeks. No eviction notice, no void period, no hassle.

Inherited properties are another common reason sellers come to us. Executors often face the prospect of spending thousands on repairs just to make a property presentable for the open market – on top of the emotional weight of managing an estate. We buy properties in any condition, which means there’s no need for renovation before sale. This allows families to settle the estate and move forward without months of delays and unexpected costs.

These aren’t unusual scenarios for us. Speed and certainty are what we do, day in, day out.

The Trade-Off (Because There Always Is One)

Let’s be completely transparent here.

In exchange for this speed and certainty, our offer will be below the full market value you might achieve on the open market. This reflects the risks we take on, the holding costs, legal costs we pay for both parties, and the speed of service.

However, what sellers often don’t factor in is the total cost of an open market sale: estate agent fees (typically around 1.5%), solicitor fees, Energy Performance Certificate costs, potential repair costs to make the property presentable, and then the monthly carrying costs of mortgage payments, council tax, and insurance for every month it sits on the market. When you add those up, the gap between our offer and the open market net proceeds is often closer to 90 to 95% of the market value – more than most people expect. It’s also worth noting that roughly one in four open market sales fall through prior to exchange, and the seller would still be liable for abortive legal fees on top of everything else. 

It’s not always about getting the highest possible price. It’s sometimes more about getting a guaranteed sale, quickly, with zero hassle.

Who Is This Perfect For?

Breaking a chain? We’re your solution. Learn more about how to break a property chain.

Relocating for work? We’ll work to your timeline.

Inherited a property? We make a difficult time easier with our inherited property service.

Landlord looking to exit? No need to evict tenants first.

Facing financial pressure? We can release your equity fast.

Repossession? We can act fast to block the repossession while the property transaction completes

This isn’t for everyone. If you’ve got time on your side and want to squeeze every penny from your sale, the open market might be your best bet.

But if you value certainty, speed, and convenience? That’s exactly what we offer.

Which Method Is Right for You?

Still not sure? Here’s a quick decision guide:

Choose an online estate agent if: You have 6–9 months to wait. You want to achieve full market value. You’re comfortable managing viewings yourself. You can afford the upfront fee even if the house doesn’t sell. You’re prepared for the possibility of the sale falling through.

Choose eBay if: You’re feeling experimental (we wouldn’t recommend it). You have a very unusual property that might attract attention. You’re prepared for a high likelihood of time-wasters. You understand it’s not a binding sale.

Choose Property Rescue if: You need to sell within weeks, not months. You want guaranteed completion with no fall-through risk. You can’t face the stress of viewings and negotiations. You need to break a chain or have had a sale collapse. You value certainty over achieving the absolute maximum price.

Your Next Move

So there you have it. Three ways to sell your house online, each with its own pros and cons.

If you’ve got time on your side and want to achieve the highest price, an online agent offers a cost-effective route to the open market.

Feeling adventurous? eBay offers massive exposure but virtually no security or guarantees.

But if your priority is speed, certainty, and a completely stress-free process, selling directly to a cash buyer is the most reliable way forward. You bypass the delays and disappointments of the open market and take back control of your sale.

Get your free, no-obligation cash offer from Property Rescue today. Fill in our simple form and let us show you how easy selling your home can be. No pressure, no obligation – just honest advice and a fair offer.

We’re ready when you are.