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Beware of online property auctions
Property auctions can be useful, but contain pitfalls for the unwary. So make sure you know what you’re in for.
In a traditional auction, once the gavel falls, you're on the hook
(Image credit: Credit: Jeff Gilbert / Alamy Stock Photo)
Auctions have long been a good way for sellers to offload a property quickly or for buyers to bag a bargain. Today, however, more and more properties are being sold in online auctions. These work in a different way to traditional auctions, and it is important to be aware of the potential pitfalls before going down this route. More than 35,000 properties come under the hammer each year, according to the Essential Information Group. Many are repossessions, while others are uninhabitable or unmortgageable, and thus only suitable for cash buyers or those with access to alternative finance.
How auctions work
Although one of the advantages of buying or selling at auction is speed, much of the work is done before the event. Buyers need to obtain the auction catalogue, visit the property, get a survey done, go through the legal pack and get their finances in order before auction day. The catalogue guide price will give an idea of the minimum price a property is likely to fetch, but most properties will go for more.
Traditional auctions are "unconditional", so when the gavel falls, you have effectively exchanged contracts and will immediately need to pay 10% of the purchase price. You will also need to pay an administration fee (£200 - £300) and, in some cases, a buyer's premium, too. Most purchases need to be completed within 20 working days, and there will be penalties if you don't complete on time. In that case, you'd also lose the 10% you put down on the day, and may have to cover the costs of re-selling the property, plus any shortfall between the price you agreed and the final selling price.
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Online or "modern" auctions work in a different way. They normally take place over 30 days, during which buyers register and place their bids. At the end of the period, the highest bidder wins, and pays a reservation fee (as well as a buyer's premium). The reservation fee is set by the estate agent or auction platform and is normally at least 2.5% of the purchase price, with a minimum fee of around £5,000 plus VAT.
Unlike traditional auctions, online ones are usually "conditional" rather than binding the winning bidder to the sale, the fall of the virtual hammer gives them a 28-day exclusivity period in which to exchange contracts, and 56 days in which to complete (so there may be time to get a mainstream mortgage).
Drawbacks of going online
Although this all sounds straightforward, the Homeowners' Alliance (HOA) has concerns about online auctions. Firstly, the reservation fee, which isn't like a deposit and therefore comes on top of the purchase price, is non-refundable. The potentially hefty fee is also split between the auctionhouse and the estate agent.
Estate agents therefore often make more money from auctions than through a direct sale, even though there is less work involved. And because online auctions can be so lucrative, the HOA is concerned estate agents may be pushing sellers towards an online auction because of the potentially higher returns, not because it will be the best sales channel for their property. Sellers, meanwhile, are likely to achieve a lower price at auction as the buyer will need to factor the reservation fee into their affordability calculations.
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Emma Lunn is a multi-award-winning journalist who specialises in personal finance and consumer issues. With more than 18 years’ experience in personal finance, Emma has covered topics including mortgages, first-time buyers, leasehold, banking, debt, budgeting, broadband, energy, pensions and investments. Emma’s one of the most prolific freelance personal finance journalists with a back catalogue of work in newspapers such as The Guardian, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, the Mail on Sunday and the Mirror. As a freelancer she has also completed various in-house contracts at The Guardian, The Independent, Mortgage Solutions, Orange and Moneywise.
She also writes regularly for specialist magazines and websites such as Property Hub, Mortgage Strategy and YourMoney.com. She’s particularly proud of her work writing about the leasehold sector and a Guardian front-page story about a dodgy landlord. She has a real passion for helping people learn about money – especially when many people are struggling to get by in today’s challenging economic climate – and prides herself on simplifying complex subjects.
