Guide To Selling At Auction

When Do You Want To Sell?
Decide when you want to sell your property and which Auction you would like to put it in. Sale dates and venues can be found on our website.

Contact Redstones Property Auctions
Contact us on 0845 226 2833.

Property Appraisal
We can provide you with a free, no obligation auction appraisal of your property. We will advise you whether we think your property is suitable for sale by auction or not.

Reserve price & Guide price
Our auction team will recommend a guide price which you will need to approve before marketing begins. It is important to set the guide at a realistic price which is attractive to buyers. This will generate competitive bidding in the auction room, and ensure that the best price is achieved.

Formally Instruct Us
After agreeing on a suitable guide price for your property and our commission fee (see below) we will send you an auction agreement which you will sign and return to us.

Catalogue Entry Fee
Redstones Property Auctions charge a fee to cover the inspection of the property, marketing and catalogue production costs. The fee will depend on how much space is taken in the catalogue for the property. Currently our entry fees are £250 + Vat for a half page or £450 + Vat for a full page.

Commission
If we successfully auction your property, we charge a commission which is generally 1-2% + VAT depending on the value of the property.

Sale Particulars & Legal Packs
Draft sale particulars will be sent to you for approval and/or amendments. At the same time your solicitors will be instructed to prepare a legal pack containing special conditions of sale, title documents, leases (where applicable), searches, planning documentation and office copy entries so that they are ready for dispatch to interested parties.

Catalogues
The catalogue details all the lots that will be offered in the next sale and includes colour photographs of each property. The catalogue is distributed to those who request a copy as well as being available on our website.

Marketing
In addition to adding the properties to our website and mailing the catalogue to several thousand people, we will target individuals who have previously expressed an interest in similar properties, as well as adjacent occupiers, local agents, local developers, builders, and property companies. On the advertising side, we take out substantial space in the key property publications, giving details of all properties, as well as placing advertisements in local newspapers where we often achieve editorial coverage as well.

Viewings
Where applicable we will carry out regular viewings of your property at pre-arranged times. These viewing times will be published in the catalogue.

Legal Packs
The legal pack will need to be made available through your solicitor. We shall also arrange for buyers to receive documents by post if they so request.

Interest and Offers
During the marketing period, all interest and enquiries are logged. We will maintain close contact with potential buyers and liaise with you throughout as well as reporting any offers made prior to the sale.

Reserve price
We will agree a reserve price with you for your property. This is the level below which we will not be authorised to sell. It is important that the reserve price is set at a realistically achievable level.

The Auction Day Itself
Redstones Property Auctions holds all its auctions at the Watford Ramada Hotel. It is easy to locate and there is ample parking for bidders so everyone who wants to attend the auction can without any unnecessary stress. The room is ideal for auctions and the atmosphere that is crucial for a successful auction. For vendors it is important to note that the fall of the hammer represents an exchange of contracts and the successful bidder is legally obliged to pay a deposit, usually 10% of the purchase price, and sign a memorandum of sale before leaving the room. The buyer has purchased your property at the final bid price. They can not renegotiate and can not change any of the terms stipulated. Completion usually occurs 20 working days after the auction when the balance of the price is payable. The deposit funds are then paid to you less our fees. The atmosphere of the room can be extremely exciting and competitive. The prices achieved at auction can often be higher than those achieved by private treaty, ie through an estate agent.

What happens if the property does not sell on the day?
If your property fails to reach its reserve price at the auction, someone may still wish to buy it. You will need to decide whether to accept any subsequent offer and advise us accordingly. The property may even be sold in the days or weeks after the sale as we continue to market the property. It is quite common for an unsold property to sell within an hour of the auction ending as potential buyers may have simply been delayed etc.