Estate agents are usually down there with politicians and double glazing salesmen in peoples’ affections. So it’s no wonder that a host of sell-your-home-yourself websites have emerged from this general dislike — homesbyweb.co.uk, houseladder.co.uk, ClickSell.co.uk and HouseNetwork.co.uk to name but a few. The newest addition to this e-fold is skipthemiddleman.co.uk. For a rather high, one-off fee of £875, the company will visit your property to take photographs, film
a virtual tour and draw up a floorplan. Prospective buyers can then view your home on the Skip website and via big property portals such as www.fish4homes.co.uk and www.channel4.com. If you do not find a tenant or buyer within 30 days, Skip promises to refund the fee. The site, which has been running for just under three months, has already sold nine properties. But on the downside, it only covers London, and the website’s visitor numbers are low, so it may not suit sellers looking for a swift sale.