Property Auctions Chelmsford

We run our auction service across Chelmsford and its 25 postcode districts – covering Central Essex (including Harlow, Brentwood, Billericay, Braintree, Burnham-on-Crouch, Dunmow, Epping, Ingatestone, Maldon, Ongar, Southminster, Stansted and Witham), East Hertfordshire (including Bishop’s Stortford and Sawbridgeworth) and into the London Borough of Havering.

Our local and regional pages highlight where in the UK we operate.

If you have or know of an auction property across the region (and beyond), we’d be delighted to provide you with an evidence-based reserve and guide price appraisal.

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyor (RICS) Standards Using HM Land Registry Data

With over 2 decades of hands on experience, the auction team at Property Solvers is well-versed in valuing properties and land accurately.

We principally follow Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) guidance, meaning we align our valuations with ‘Redbook’ standards.

Complemented by our bespoke tools derived from HM Land Registry data, we’ll primarily look at sold ­property comparables alongside the following:

Property Sizes / Dimensions

Using Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) data, we will check the sizes of properties on your street and within a 1/4 radius.

We will also bear in mind that the spectrum of UK housing stock is wide and varied and it’s not always easy to compare like-for-like.

For example, a given property may have a larger garden / land plot or had a back or roof extension.

Other times, the differences can be more subtle and we have access to a range of third-party tools including Rightmove Plus and ZooplaPro to look at things more closely.

Of course, we will happily show you the evidence we collate.

Property Condition

During our initial conversations, we’ll usually ask some questions about the current state of the property as this has a notable influence on the valuation.

For example, if you have recently refurbished the property and/or significantly improved its ­appearance, we’re likely to suggest pushing the auction prices upwards as buyers wouldn’t need to undertake these works themselves.

Local Market Conditions

We’ll take a closer look at the property market from a micro and macro point of view using tools such as our local house market insights tool. The team will also check out the local auction market to see if there are any perceptible trends worth taking into account.

These investigations give us a unique understanding of the ebbs and flows alongside other crucial influences such as average speed of sale of properties in the area and differences between estate agency asking prices and sold values.

This part of the analysis will also examine growth prospects such as local planning policy, new developments, blights, education, health care, amenities transport links / prospects amongst a range of other micro influences.

“Macro” Factors that Influence Auction Valuations

With the property market continually evolving, We will also look at the broader influences that can affect our auction price recommendations.

These can include overall buyer appetite, availability of finance, interest rate trends,  inflation risks, tax / fiscal / monetary policy, investment trends, political governance amongst many others.

Please also feel free to request one of our auction valuation reports (updated every month with the latest statistics from HM Land Registry and a range of other relevant property data sources).

Our online property auction service comes part of a wider range of quick home sale solutions we offer our clients across Chelmsford and beyond.

Compared to selling via an estate agency, auctions provide the benefits of security of sale without compromising on achieving our clients great prices.

Firstly, once we have the winning bidder in place, we require a non-refundable ‘holding’ deposit.  We then commit buyers to strict exchange / completion deadlines (with financial penalties if this does not happen).  Overall, this means that the chances of the sale falling through are slim-to-none.

Furthermore, unlike other auction houses where you’ll often have to wait for a ‘slot’, we undertake our house valuation process / auction appraisal in rapid time and can even list your property within days.

Note, however, we generally recommend having an auction legal pack in place before the bidding take place to maximise the achievable auction price.

We’ll get your property the very best exposure on all the leading portals (including Rightmove, Zoopla And Prime Location), have a 24/7 enquiry line, access to discounted legal packs and viewing experts available 7 days a week (including evenings and weekends).

Our ‘eBay-style’ secure bidding platform enables buyers to bid 24/7 from their PC, laptop or mobile phone.  We also offer ‘Buy it Now’ options (subject to your approval) meaning that you could potentially have the sale complete much quicker.

Once we have a sale agreed for auction, you can rest assured that our team will be completely at hand to help with anything you need during the conveyancing process – even after the sale is complete.

You can see our auction fees here.

With most other auction houses, you’ll often end up paying higher fees due to the extra work required when processing this type of sale.

Here at Property Solvers, we charge our seller clients the same amount as our estate agency service (1.5% + VAT with a minimum fee of £1,500 + VAT).

We then charge the auction buyer a non-refundable deposit which facilitates an even playing field during the bidding process.  Furthermore, as a seller, you’ll get the best possible level of security available on the open market.

Remember, please call us even if you simply need an idea of the kind of reserve and guide prices you should price your property at.

We advise being cautious about this kind of fee structure.

In the vast majority of cases, auction buyers are being charged many thousands of pounds as auctioneers seek adequate compensation from the sale.

This means potential buyers end up bidding below the reserve, if at all, as they seek to achieve a fair value for the purchase.

As mentioned in the response above, we charge relatively low fees to both the buyer and seller which creates an equitable bidding environment where both parties achieve their desired outcomes.

We are specialists in selling:

• Terraced / semi-detached / detached / flats;
• Buy to let properties, namely: single / multi-lets / houses of multiple occupation (HMOs), serviced accommodation units, multi-unit freehold blocks, studio apartments, buy-to-let property portfolios, listed buildings, properties held under rent-to-rent / guaranteed rent agreements;
• Commercial properties, office / mixed-use buildings, serviced offices, shops, retail stores, ground rent sales;
• Public houses, hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, takeaways, cafes, halls, former churches / places of worship, sports facilities, amenity grounds;
• Redundant nursing / care homes, healthcare facilities;
• Industrial / light-industrial / agricultural buildings, warehouse, garages, storage / data / distribution centres;
• Dilapidated and empty shelled buildings;
• Land and development sites (with and without planning consent).

We would typically suggest using our auction service when our sell house fast option is unworkable or unviable.  Here, we have 2 decades of helping sellers stop repossession, sell inherited property / problem properties and dispose quickly when going through divorce / separation (amongst other personal situations).

However, with the purchase prices lying in the region of 75% of the open market value, we completely understand why auctioning a property via our platform is a better option.

The chances of achieving a successful sale at auction are significantly higher than selling through an estate agency (even our own express sale service).

There are just so many things that could go wrong that are effectively (and legally) eliminated through using an auction service like Property Solvers.

For instance, using a price to entice strategy and creating a competitive buyer environment will mean that people will be clamouring to make an offer.  Added to this, once the bid is won, buyers automatically become financially committed to the transaction.

These and other factors mean that silly buyer games and delays that often happen with estate agency sales are avoided.

The short answer is yes.  The Property Solvers We Buy Any House service suits people in search of a swift, hassle-free sale with no associated costs.

We can get the sale completed within as little as 7 days and have been able to exchange contracts in just 48 hours where necessary.

The trade-off as a seller is that our purchase prices are typically 75% of the market value (with no fees).  We appreciate that this is not an option for everyone which is why our auction is an excellent alternative.

Depending on whether you choose our 28-day (unconditional) or 56-day (conditional) sale, we will achieve between 90% and 100% of the market value within much less time than what’s possible through an estate agent.

Note that we also work with off market property buyers and portfolio builders who may be able to offer a competitive price within faster timeframes relative to using an estate agent.

When speaking to our auction sales team, we’ll discuss which of our unconditional (28-day) or conditional (56-day) auction options would work best for you.

This will be based on our professional opinion and understanding of the Chelmsford (and Essex) marketplace.

To briefly explain the difference:

28-Day Sale (Unconditional)

We recommend this option for sellers who wish to attract a more professional type of property buyer / investor.  28-day auction bidders will need to have their finances in order and will often be purchasing with cash (or using bridging/auction finance).

After what’s typically a 3-week marketing period (less if so required), the last 6-days will see the 24/7 bidding window opening.  We will be completely at hand to deal with questions from you and all the interested buyers.  At the end of the auction bidding, once our virtual hammer falls, the buyer has effectively exchanged contracts and will pay a 10% deposit into our Client Account which will subsequently be transferred to the seller’s solicitor’s own Client Account.  At this juncture, for extra security, buyers also pay a non-refundable reservation fee directly to Property Solvers (which we transfer to your solicitor).

The buyer is then obliged to complete the sale within 28 days.  Failing to do so means that he/she will lose the 10% deposit and face other financial penalties.  The chances of things falling apart are therefore negligible at best.

56-Day Sale (Conditional)

Sometimes referred to as the Modern Method of Auction (MMA), the bidding process is similar to the 28-day auction.  However, we stretch out the completion or settlement date. This means that we can attract retail buyers who are often willing to pay well over the guide prices.

The winning bidder will pay a non-refundable deposit and has the exclusive ‘right to exchange contracts’ on the property within the prescribed time frame – usually 28 days (20 business days).  After this period, the 10% deposit is paid and contracts are exchanged.  The buyer then has a further 28 days (20 business days) to complete on the sale.

The buyer will usually arrange mortgage finance during this time (which 28-day auction buyers will struggle to achieve).

We often describe it as a ‘middle ground’ between a normal estate agency sale and a more traditional auction / quick cash sale.

Yes, we pay very competitive finders fees which increase with the more volume of transactions and business you could refer to us.

Please check out our become a partner page, contact us on or email us directly at [email protected].

Please click here for a more comprehensive list of questions we’re commonly asked.

Feel free to contact us on freephone 0800 044 3797 (this line is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5:30pm and diverts to a 24/7 enquiry line out of hours).  We’d love to chat!